Grounded for 2 years?

[MoateAir]

It amazes me how they predict this stuff.


http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn10189-solar-flares-will-disrupt-gps-in-2011.html

Navigation, power and communications systems that rely on GPS satellite navigation will be disrupted by violent solar activity in 2011, research shows.

A study reveals Global Positioning System receivers to be unexpectedly vulnerable to bursts of radio noise produced by solar flares, created by explosions in the Sun's atmosphere.

When solar activity peaks in 2011 and 2012, it could cause widespread disruption to aircraft navigation and emergency location systems that rely heavily on satellite navigation data.

Particularly intense solar activity occurs roughly every 11 years due to cyclic changes to the Sun's magnetic field – a peak period known as the solar maximum.

[cwatters]

It amazes me how they predict this stuff.

The didn't just predict it...

They found that GPS receivers operated by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Brazilian Air Force experienced similar disruption during this burst of solar activity.

[befree]

The solar flares can take down systems but only a few issolated problems should occure. You get a whole days warning for the flare to get near the earth. Also aircraft get a very good view of 10-12 satelites unlike some ground positions. The noise will be for more of a problem for a TOM_TOM than an airbourne receiver.

A far bigger risk is a super volcano they keep talking about. One of those could ground all jets and stop wine production for years, espically if yellosstone blows.:=

[MoateAir]

Stocking up the wine celler as we speak.:uhoh:

[Nineiron]

Now calm down chaps, the end of the world is not nigh. Have a chat with your nearest radio amateur and he will tell you all about it. There can be interruptions to various signal paths on various frequencies - but all at once? I think not.

[MoateAir]

Still gonna stock up though.:p

[Jerricho]

yellosstone

Is that in Greece? ;)

[ORAC]

Radiation Belt Remediation and risks... (http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9751-pentagons-satellitesaving-plan-could-backfire.html)

[Boggart]

A question from curious interloper.

If this phenomenon were to happen would it effect the whole globe as the ionosphere would be charged by the solar emissions or would it only affect the satellites and communications on a ‘line of sight’ basis and have no effect on the ‘dark side’ of the earth?

[Nineiron]

Sorry Boggart, no straight lines when the solar wind distorts the magnetospere.

Lots of pretty pictures (US textbook) on
www.igpp.ucla.edu/.../Saxon_Lecture_2004.htm

[Boggart]

Nineiron,

Thanks for that but er...the link doesn't work.

Boggart

[Nineiron]

Sorry about that link, I didn't notice the abreviation with the dots.
Try again, I checked the link on the message preview. http://www.igpp.ucla.edu/people/mkivelson/Physics_of_Planetary_Magnetospheres/Saxon_Lecture_2004.htm