Posted on 04/04/2007 10:20:02 AM PDT by Freeport
The largest solar flare in the last 500 years may have shredded Earth's ozone layer to a greater extent than human-made chemicals have in recent decades, new research suggests, but the effect was only temporary. If such a flare occurred today, it would likely be even more damaging to the ozone and could increase the rate of skin cancer around the world.
On 1 September 1859, the Sun expelled huge quantities of high-energy protons in a 'superflare'. The event was seen on Earth by an observer who noticed a white spot on the Sun suddenly brighten for about five minutes.
When the magnetic storm struck Earth, fires started in telegraph stations due to electrical arcing in the telegraph wires. The northern lights, or aurorae borealis, were reportedly seen as far south as Florida in the US.
This flare released 6.5 times more energy than the largest solar flare of the satellite era, which occurred in 1989. That flare was strong enough to cause a power blackout in Quebec, Canada.
Now, scientists have calculated the ozone depletion from the 1859 solar flare for the first time by studying chemical deposits in Greenland ice cores.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.newscientist.com ...
Interesting read.
It’s Bush’s fault.
ping
What floors me is that such a huge astronomical event can happen, causing twice as much damage in 5 minutes as the evil American industrial complex has in 100 years and worse yet almost as much damage as President Bush himself. Yet I'm still alive and thriving.
If only he’d signed that Kyoto treaty... oh woe is us...
Call Al Gore! Quickly! Only he can save us from the angry-ball-of-fire in the sky!
Can I have my R-12 Freon back now?
/sarcasm off
2006 saw the largest ozone hole ever observed over the south pole.
Everyone saw it in the news, right?
The SUN has FAR more to do with the Earth’s Atmostphere than Man EVER will.
Plan for THAT, not lay blame on Man’s activities, move to higher ground ya Enviroweenies!
There goes that pesky Old Man Sun, affecting our climate again!
In December of 1862, on the battlefield at Fredricksburg,
Virginia, the Northern Lights were seen. A very unusual
occurrence that far south. Must have been a potent flare
“season”....JJ61
Everyone keeps tellin’ me it was my Blazer.
Is there an offset we can buy to fix this?
And Earth catches less than a billionth of the energy released by the sun. (5*E -10 ... roughly)
How on earth can they be so exact on the date of the 1859 or 1889 flare. They say the flare lasted five minutes and allegedly the individual watched it the whole time or at least it was implied and that I do believe for that period in time was impossible because they had no filters. Had it be an unprotected eye he would have been blind NO?. Just more scientific mumble jumbo if you ask me. Lets keep all those sheeple scared and all that jazz
Well, that settles it. Global warming is going to kill us all unless we pay all our money to the UN, and stop driving cars, heating homes, etc. All new global warming houses built from this point on must be dug in the ground with a spade. No wood allowed. No cement- Nothing, except a few hay bales.
I don’t know about the rest of you’s, but I’m way head of the game, and have ordered 4000 omish carriages. Just you wait and see, I’m way ahead of the rush, and will be the biggest Omish Cart dealer in the western plains. I’ll be able to set my own price and make a fortune, and because I have all the omish busy making carts for me, none of you will be able to order any from them until my order is filled first, which will take them at least 36 years. One cart a week is as fast as they can build them.
So, when you decide it’s time for your cart,come on down to Western plains Omish cart sales and service. Best prices anywhere.
Another answer to albore’s global warming.
My Omish carts have a special radiation shielding roof. Combined with the (optional) Omish hat, it will prevent your ears from turning into cauliflowers from the cancer causing rays. /s
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