Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA cityscape image showing the Milwaukee skyline … [+]
Washington, DC, and Milwaukee are especially vulnerable to the threat of geomagnetic storms caused by activity on the sun’s surface, but experts are still trying to understand why.
The study was conducted the same week that the scientists published their findings. New Works This will hopefully enable astronomers to more accurately predict violent solar outbursts and the resulting auroral phenomenon.
Space Weather Threat
Geomagnetic storms (the strongest being G5) An aurora occurred on Earth on May 10th.These are the result of space weather, the root cause of which is the solar wind, an explosion of gas and magnetic fields spewing charged particles from the Sun into space during solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
Scientists believe that severe space weather could occur like a pandemic, with effects comparable to extreme temperatures and floods. This is because the powerful geomagnetically induced currents that occur during geomagnetic storms can damage power lines, transformers, oil and gas pipelines, railways, and undersea cables. Satellites, space equipment, and astronauts could also be at risk.
Most vulnerable
The new study by the British Geological Survey focused on the United States, where researchers studied the electrical conductivity of the Earth’s surface, the physical structure of the power grid, and the location of auroral currents in the sky.
They identified Washington, DC, and Milwaukee as the two cities with power grids most susceptible to space weather effects.
“Highly connected”
“Certain regions in the US – the Washington DC area and Milwaukee – have repeatedly been identified in our network as ‘highly connected’ and therefore may be areas that are particularly vulnerable to space weather effects and could benefit from further monitoring,” said Dr Lauren Au from BGS, who presented the study’s findings at the conference last week. National Astronomy Conference at the University of Hull In the UK
The researchers used network science to understand the resilience of the power grid across the U.S. and found the “supernodes” that are most at risk, which appear to be Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee. “These areas could potentially be modified to prevent transformer burnouts during geomagnetic storms and limit damage to the entire power grid,” Ohl said.
Carrington Events
The worst case on record occurred on September 2, 1859, when a telegraph operator was electrocuted by the so-called Carrington phenomenon, a massive solar flare. studyIf that were to happen now, it could cost the US economy more than $41.5 billion per day.
Previous research by the British Geological Survey suggested that the May 10 geomagnetic storm The most extreme and longest-lasting on record It’s been going on in the UK for the last 155 years, probably the last 500 years.
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May the clear skies and big eyes be with you.
