Effects of a massive solar flare

Some scientists are saying this upcoming solar cycle could be the worst ever recorded, and produce solar storms even worse than the largest ever recorded in 1859. But i keep thinking, what could the effects be?

Keep in mind this is hypothetical and speculative...

1. Would a solar flare knock out just the grid, or everything electrical like an EMP? If it just takes out the grid, would things like iPods, Laptops, cars, all would work provided we had a power source?

2. Would we have advance warning?

3. What would the aftermath be like? People scrambling for a piece of meat?

4. Would the solar flare affect the whole planet, or just a certain area?

5. Is the suburbs a good place to be?

I look forward to discussing this in more detail!

reply to post by mossme89


2. light travels faster, so i suppose we would have a breif say 8-15 minutes heads up, haha

5. well, the suburbs is a horrible place to be period!

Possibly a EMP effect that altough doesn't knock of all electricity will cause cars to stall

Predictions by scientists about 3 years ago called for the next solar maximum to occur in 2011 or 2012. There was no prediction that it would be any more intense than usual, certainly not "the worst ever recorded".

The most current prediction is that solar maximum will occur in May of 2013 and will be less intense than average. We are on track for that prediction.
solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov...

1) A solar flare does not have any effect on the surface of the Earth. It is an outpouring of radiation from the Sun. The surface is protected from this radiation by the atmosphere. Satellites and people in orbit, outside of the atmosphere can be put at risk by a solar flare. Solar flares are often (but not always) associated with coronal mass ejections (CME). A CME can produce geomagnetic storms, a disruption of the Earth's magnetosphere. An intense geomagnetic storm can cause problems for our power grids but iPods, Laptops, and cars would not be affected.

2) The radiation from a solar flare arrives on Earth 8 minutes after it is produced and we can detect it. We are developing our ability to predict them. We have several different satellites as well as ground based telescopes observing the Sun so a strong CME would probably be detected. The effects of a CME are felt on Earth 1 to 4 days after the event so yes, we do have some advanced warning.

3) Depends.

4) Geomagnetic storms produced by CMEs affect specific areas, they are not global events. The higher the latitude, the stronger the effects.

5) Depends.

[edit on 4/4/2010 by Phage]

I believe the sun effects human behaviour… Solar flares and CME’s etc have a purpose to our being. Can anyone confirm that these events on our sun do not affect our way of thinking/being.

Thanks.

The Pineal Gland is an active, secreting gland throughout life. Natural, unfiltered sunlight is necessary for the proper functioning of this gland. Light as conscious electromagnetic energy from the sun enters the body through the optic nerves of the eyes which, in turn, directly stimulates the pineal gland, a photo reactive organ. The pineal gland converts light energy into an electrochemical impulse which feeds directly into the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus is that part of the brain which mediates all of the vital processes of the body via its immediate and direct connections to the pituitary gland and the autonomic nervous system. The hypothalamus is filled with light sensitive cells which convert the electromagnetic signal of light into a neurochemical impulse which is then carried directly into the pituitary Gland. The pituitary , in turn, elaborates and secretes hormones within the body, thereby maintaining homeostasis.

omareflex.com...

During the last 10 years our Director of Behavioral Medicine, William Rogers, began developing the idea of a tangible, organic 'special needs' tangible electromagnetic instrument that was completely non-invasive, could penetrate the human skull with the addition of ultrasound waves, was completely harmless and had the potential to make greater positive intelligence strides in a faster amount of time than anything that had ever come before in the field of mental health.

www.behaviorresearch.org...

Peace.

Didn't something like that happen in Quebec?

Originally posted by c211aek8m21
Didn't something like that happen in Quebec?

1989
www.nasa.gov...