Citing the need for “enhanced monitoring” of solar storms capable of disrupting the power grid, interfering with satellites and knocking out GPS systems, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has unveiled a new set of guidelines to monitor and deal with powerful space weather events.
The guidelines, developed in collaboration with the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and other federal agencies, looks to limit the potential damage caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections, include coming up with new benchmarks for geoelectric fields induced in the Earth during magnetic storms, which can in turn be used to strengthen the power grid.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, a strong enough solar storm might be capable of disrupting the country’s power grid for months, possibly leading to widespread blackouts if steps aren’t taken to protect the nation’s electricity supply. It could take several years to recover fully from such an event, and the cost of dealing with the fallout could top $1 trillion.
While the USGS noted that such powerful storms are “rare,” they added that “there is significant potential for large-scale impacts when they do occur” and that they pose a potential threat to both “the economy and national security.” Space weather can “affect the operation” of key technology and thus can have “significant consequences for our lives on Earth,” they added.
Other ways the US is upping its space weather monitoring programs
Among the proposals included in the new National Space Weather Strategy and National Space Weather Action Plan are the expansion of long-term, ground based geoelectric and geomagnetic monitoring systems through the addition of more equipment at observatories, and the release of Air Force and NOAA data designed to improve space weather forecasting efforts.
The USGS plans to perform magnetotelluric surveys of the US through temporary deployments of sensor systems in order to estimate the electrical conductivity of the Earth’s crust. The agency is also vowing to assess potential hazards following magnetic storms using models of electrical conductivity, and promises to improve access to their global data and monitoring systems.
In addition, the US State Department said that it will host a series of international workshops designed to increase collaboration of international space-weather preparedness. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials said it plans to incorporate space weather into guidelines for transportation-security and emergency-management officials, while Airlines for America will look to address the issue in the commercial aviation community.
“Together, these efforts will facilitate the integration of space-weather considerations into planning and decision-making at all levels, ensuring that the United States is appropriately prepared for and resilient to future space-weather events,” the OSTP said in a statement.
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