Solar Weather Preparation Flashcards
When does space weather occur?
Space weather occurs when eruptions on the sun blast charged electrical particles or radiation toward Earth. It takes the form of so-called solar storms — high-seed streams of matter and energy in the form of solar flares and CMEs
True or False: As the sun changes, so does the space around it
True
What happens as the sun evolves and changes in its magnetic field occur?
As the sun evolves, changes in its magnetic field store vast amounts of energy. Often this energy dissipates gradually, heating the sun’s atmosphere or being swept away by solar wind. Sometimes a fraction is released impulsively, triggering powerful events that can lead to severe space weather near Earth
What instruments record the sun’s activity in real time for NOAA?
Satellites, sensors, and imaging technology
What are solar eruptions?
Solar eruptions are massive explosions on the sun that send huge amounts of energy and mass streaming into space: CMEs and Solar Flares
What are solar flares?
Solar Flares are short, impulsive bursts of electromagnetic radiation that blast x-rays and energetic particles into interplanetary space
How often do weak solar flares occur on the sun’s surface?
Weak flares are common occurrences on the sun, while massive flares, which can last for days, are the most energetic events in the solar system
What are CMEs?
CMEs are powerful outburst of magnetic field and plasma from the sun’s corona
What is released in a CME?
Billions of tons of electrified plasma and subatomic particles from the sun’s corona fir of like a blast into space by a CME at speeds typical of 600 to 900 km/s, with speeds widely varying
True or False: the most powerful CMEs can reach speeds of several thousand km/s
True
What are Coronal Holes?
Coronal holes are dark regions in the sun’s atmosphere detected by UV and x-ray imaging, and are the source of high-speed solar wind streams
What happens when high-speed solar wind from coronal holes collide with slow solar wind?
The high-speed solar wind from coronal holes collide with the slow solar wind, generated outside the holes, with the visual effect resembling the spiral of a rotating sprinkler, which scientists call the Parker Spiral. This collision can also lead to the formation of shockwaves in the solar wind and produce disturbances to Earth’s magnetosphere
When do the sun’s eruptions become problematic?
The sun’s eruptions become problematic once they interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere (causes storms)
What are the effects of space weather on GPS signals?
GPS signals are susceptible to geomagnetic storms, which can change a receiver’s ability to calculate an accurate position from a satellite signal
At our homes, what are affected by space weather?
At home, our telecommunications systems, radio waves, cellular service, and power grids can all be affected by space weather
What are some tools we use to detect potential harm by space weather? Why is space weather hard to detect?
Satellites, GOES, and DSCOVR help detect potential harm by space weather, yet the random nature of flares, solar wind, and CMEs make predictions more difficult
What can severe space weather produce?
Severe space weather also produces solar energetic particles, which can damage satellites used for commercial communications, global positioning, intelligence gathering, and weather forecasting
What is the strongest recorded geomagnetic storm?
The strongest geomagnetic storm on record is the Carrington Event on August-September 1859, named after the British astronomer Richard Carrington
Space weather prediction services in the United States are provided by who?
Space weather prediction services in the United States are provided mainly by NOAA’s “Space Weather Prediction Center” (SWPC) and the U.S Air Force’s (USAF) Weather Agency (AFWA), which work closely together to address the needs of their civilian and military user communities
