Solar storm WARNING: Giant tears in Sun’s corona trigger communication BLACKOUTS

Tuesday, July 31, 2018
By Paul Martin

SOLAR flares bursting out from tears in the Sun’s burning corona can disrupt communications and cause widespread radio blackouts during times of natural disaster, a study has shown.

By SEBASTIAN KETTLEY
Express.co.uk
Tue, Jul 31, 2018

The disastrous effects solar storms have on the planet were last seen in September 2017, at the height of the Atlantic hurricane season.

A newly published study in the journal Space Weather detailed widespread radio blackout across the Caribbean after multiple giant solar flares struck the planet.

On September 6, 2017, a class X-2.2 and major class X-9.3 flare erupted more than 93 million miles away from Earth, at about 8am local time.

The powerful blasts of solar energy struck after the US NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center warned of radio blackouts on the dayside of Earth.

The flares cut off communications at a crucial time of need, putting people caught in hurricanes at a greater risk of danger.

The new study showed the solar flares had an impact on shortwave radios which were heavily employed by amateur rescue teams and dispatch operators.

The study, penned by lead author Rob Redmon of NOAA, reads: “The September 6 X9.3 flare was the largest to date for the nearly concluded solar cycle 24 and, in fact, the brightest recorded since an X17 flare in September 2005, which occurred during the declining phase of solar cycle 23.

“Rapid ionization of the sunlit upper atmosphere occurred, disrupting high frequency communications in the Caribbean region while emergency managers were scrambling to provide critical recovery services caused by the region’s devastating hurricanes.”

Another major solar flare erupted from the Sun just days later on September 10, causing a radio blackout for about three hours.

Both blackouts occurred during the highly destructive Category 5 Hurricane Irma and Category 4 Hurricane Jose wreaking havoc in the Caribbean.

Mr Redmon said: “Space weather and Earth weather aligned to heighten an already tense situation in the Caribbean.

“if I head on over to my amateur radio operator, and they have been transmitting messages for me, whether it be for moving equipment or finding people or just saying I’m okay to somebody else, suddenly I can’t do that on this day, and that would be pretty stressful.”

The 2017 solar flares were the largest of their kind in more than a decade.

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