Posted on 03/26/2023 7:38:29 AM PDT by devane617
“We only have 12 years to save the planet,” we may hear. “Man may only have 10 years left if we don’t ________” (fill in the doomsayer prescription). The truth, though, is that we don’t know if humanity has still one year or six months — or less.
And this reality was brought home by something that occurred March 12.
It was on that day, not two weeks ago, that there was a huge solar eruption. It was perhaps 100 times more powerful than the Carrington Event in 1859, which rendered inoperable a good part of the “Victorian Internet”: telegraph lines. So why was The New American still able to publish this article, and how can you now access it?
We dodged a bullet because 3/12’s event occurred on the Sun’s far side.
Still, though, it was powerful enough to affect Earth.
NASA reported on the event, writing March 14 that a “massive eruption of solar material, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME, was detected escaping from the Sun at 11:36 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2023.”
American Thinker’s J.R. Dunn points out that this was just like the Carrington Event — only more so. As History wrote of the 1859 occurrence (as presented by Dunn):
(Excerpt) Read more at thenewamerican.com ...
Excellent explanation. Thank you. One question: How will solar panels and solar farms be impacted by a massive CME? My limited understanding is that solar farms may experience severe damage.
Done.
Multiple layers of knickers didn’t even slow anyone down. ;^)
Back in 2012 I think it was, we had an X class flare rated as an X-10. It was kind of a big deal at the time because it was the larges “X” flare ever recorded in real time be multiple solar satellites. X-flares are the highest rating after C and M class.
HF radio in the Northern Hemisphere was severely disrupted as I observed in real time. This X-10 was nowhere near a Carrington event. So, if it was 100 times worse than the Carrington event and X-10 is less than that, what X-class would it be? At least over an estimated X-1000?
I wonder because I have not heard anyone rate this non-Earth facing flare by class and number. They always make a big beal about X-flares, but not this one.
The Sun Dog that didn’t bark, it would seem.
SS1
There would be no impact to solar power or any other electronics as a result of a CME. The “geomagnetically induced currents” require significant geographic separation beyond what you would find on a typical property or even across a town.
Hardening the grid from a CME is different from hardening the grid from a high-altitude Electromagnetic Pulse.
You are correct, some things are easier to replace than others.
Uh, in other words we are doomed.
(Kidding, sort of...) Just for reference, how much induced voltage can a 100x Carrington CME create in a wire 100 ft. long? I've seen induced voltage from lightning do some pretty interesting things even though the current was quite low. Granted that such damage usually involved small semiconductor junctions, both conventional and FETs.
With YouTube one pretty much has to expect click bait titles.
But, the mere fact that this large an event happened, even if directed elsewhere, got by most people, I think. That’s why I posted the article.
” how much induced voltage can a 100x Carrington CME create in a wire 100 ft. long?”
Great question, and goes to the heart of the misunderstanding of a CME vs a HEMP event.
The answer? as close to zero as you can get.
The voltage as a result of a CME comes from the difference in ground potential between two points that are connected by a conductor, not through induction.
An autotranformer uses a ground reference to function, so the ground potential at one substation, if different than one that is, say, 100 miles away could be significant. This voltage comes from the circulating current that is hundreds of miles deep into the earth - and depending on the geologic conditions between two points will induce a different voltage - causing current to flow.
But a CME does not induce any significant voltage as a result of the disturbance of the geomagnetic field.
You electronics will be undamaged by a CME, even one 100x Carrington.
Ok, got it — the solar storm does not create variations or spikes in the Earth’s electrical or geomagnetic field sharp enough and localized enough to induce noticeable current in a wire itself.
That makes sense — auroras would REALLY be a show if there were sharp local variations in the field...
(As an aside, one of my “mentors” in my youth was among other things the chief engr. for a local radio station. At one point they added to their tower, making it the tallest tower in the county. He took me to the transmitter one evening with a t-storm coming in and the nearby lightning strikes would induce current in the guy wires. Even though grounded, the dynamic impedance to ground in the wires themselves would sometimes result in generation of voltage sufficient to get big sparks from the wires, just above the concrete “anchors” (might be wrong terminology) they were bolted down to, to ground. Quite a show. I think they had the contractor come back and improve the grounding - not sure if that helped, as I was never back & never thought to ask my friend...)
The physics are fascinating.
The way you apply this principle to the grid is you wait for a weaker solar flare, take measurements, and then, since the effect is linear, you can scale up to a worst case scenario for a given grid configuration. Of course if you. Change your configuration by adding substations or modifying transmission lines, you have to do it all again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
