Solar Storm - another natural disaster we're not prepared for

Yesterday saw a wave of fear of solar storm over the Internet. Never heard of that, I did some research on it. Due to my limited knowledge in science, my explanation will be kept to a very simplistic form.

What is a solar storm?

A solar storm, a.k.a. geomagnetic storm, is a natural occurrence caused by the high-energy particles released by the Sun to the Earth. These particles are responsible for making the beautiful polar lights a.k.a. Aurora visible to us in areas of low latitudes. However these particles can also be a natural disaster as it could disrupt technology.

If you click the photo below you will be directed to a link of the BBC website where it explains the cause of the storm in more details, which I wouldn’t attempt to simplify the explanation.

How does the storm affect you?

The storm may knock out power and knock satellites out of orbit, which could destroy world communications and navigation systems, etc.  Yes, that means you can’t go to Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr, there’s no telly to watch, and you can’t text your friends. Basically you are separated from the world outside your current geographical location. The only ones you can talk to are your family or neighbours. Woohoo!

Another problem with solar storms is that your body will absorb a huge amount of radiation (X-rays) for long periods of time lead to lethal illnesses. 

Have any solar storms ever happened before?

Yes. There have been numerous solar storms in history, with the earliest recorded major storm dated back to the 18^th century.

An example of this would be the solar storm of 1989, which caused disruptions in electric grids and computer systems. In Quebec, Canada, the power cut lasted for 9 hours! Oh dear.

Given that nowadays we are so much more reliant on energy, you can imagine that a solar storm can lead to an even more catastrophic consequence.

Why are solar storms a global concern recently?

There’s something called the solar cycle in which the Sun goes high and low activity and the cycle repeats every 11 years. Given that last time was 2003, it is expected to peak in 2013 or 2014, which means we will be expecting more solar flares over the next few years..

What’s ‘good’ about the storm?

As mentioned before, these particles allow us to see the beautiful polar lights. With more intense solar storms, these Auroras can be seen in even more places such as northern USA or northern UK (now gutted that I’m living in the South).

Are any people actually preparing for the solar storm?

YES. There were many people in the world taking it seriously. In fact, there is an interesting programme on National Geographic called ‘Doomsday Preppers’ which filmed how people in the US are preparing for the long-lasting power cuts. Here is a video I *currently* find hilarious and over-reacting (this woman is NOT preparing for solar storms though, check the website to see if anyone is preparing for the storm!)

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel/shows/doomsday-preppers/ngc-suvival-of-the-fittest/

Sounds crazy at the moment, but who knows if these people would be the ultimate survivors if the storm really struck! (Touchwood though.)

Lastly, for the solar storm that happened yesterday, here's a BBC article on it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17295337

------------------------------------------------------------

Once again, the solar storm reminds me of how vulnerable human being could be. No matter how ‘developed’ or ‘civilised’ we are, we are still extremely dependent on technology which could have been easily destroyed by natural disasters. 

When compared to the nature, we are nothing.