And as Airbus reminded us last week, we're not ready.
The aviation industry has been feeling the heat of recent solar activity—but research questions whether their response was the right one.The Sun is currently in its active phase and has been unleashing a steady stream of powerful solar flares, triggeringon Earth.
But the consequences of these solar outbursts may be more significant than the occasional satellite disruption or sudden appearance of brilliant Northern Lights, as new research warns., the Surrey Space Center in the United Kingdom reported that a burst of solar activity caused a sharp radiation spike strong enough to be detected at ground level. Early analyses revealed that radiation levels at 40,000 feet —altitudes frequented by commercial airplanes—peaked at ten times the normal range, surpassing the previous record set nearly 20 years ago. “This was the strongest ground-level event we’ve seen since December 2006,” Clive Dyer, a climate scientist at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said in the statement. “We know from historical observations that significantly bigger events are possible, and we need to be ready.”The Sun follows a 22-year magnetic cycle, with solar activity rising and peaking roughly every 11 years. But when conditions are right, solar flares—intense bursts of radiation—also fire off coronal mass ejections , or large plasma expulsions that tamper with Earth’s magnetic field as they head toward the planet. NASA M2M SWO estimate the speed of the CME at 1856 km/s – a very fast CME! The animation of the CME in Cor2 data is absolutely spectacular. Big, fast CME. Bulk headed for us. I think it is safe to say this will be one of the most impressive near side CMEs of the cycle (fingers…This can trigger geomagnetic storms and disrupt communication systems, so experts at institutions like NOAA closely monitor solar activity to issue warnings as early as possible. When a frisky sunspot cluster blasted away solar flares early last month, NOAA managed to capture and report on the incident. Naturally, researchers jumped at the chance to directly measure future severe solar events; the SSC launched weather balloons right as a particularly powerful solar flare struck Earth on November 11. The balloons flew right up to aviation altitudes, enabling researchers to collect live data on radiation levels during the solar storm. NOAA forecast model showing a potential CME merger between November 10 and November 12. Credit: NOAA via spaceweather.com “Because this type of event is highly unpredictable, it’s essential to capture as much data as possible when they do occur,” Keith Ryden, SSC head, said in the statement. “This was our first chance to use the new rapid-reaction balloon sensors in a real event and it worked very well, giving us a ‘3D’ picture of radiation increases across UK airspace for the first time.”for critical software patches and canceled flights during the peak Thanksgiving travel season, citing “significant logistical challenges and delays” caused by solar radiation. The SSC report confirmed that at the storm’s peak, elevated radiation levels could have caused about 60 errors per hour per gigabyte in an aircraft’s electronic systems. That applied only to flights on November 11, when solar flares were strongest, and not necessarily when the storms subsided last week. The timing of the recall, on October 30, and then the cancellations last week, may reflect the limited readiness of the aviation industry for space weather events. Aircraft are “bathed in cosmic rays continuously,” DyerThe heightened radiation levels are concerning, yes, but more for the aircraft’s electronic systems than the health of passengers, he added. “I can only believe that the Nov. 11th event focused minds on this problem,” Dyer mused. Tony Phillips of Spaceweather.com noted that the planes probably were not “properly hardened against this kind of glitch” caused by high-energy particles from solar events, adding, “Upgrading the flight software is a good idea!”7:05 amAstronomers Are Tracking a Giant Sunspot Cluster That’s Already Causing Problems The region has unleashed at least two powerful solar flares in the last 12 hours, and experts are certain there's more to come.Scientists Pinpoint Cause of Mysterious Electrical Surges on Satellites A new study measured the correlation between the number of electrons in space and the sudden release of electrical charges from satellites.
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