What is a radiation storm – Kommersant
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After a solar flare on January 29, the Earth was covered by a so-called radiation storm. What is it and what are its consequences for people – in the material of Kommersant.
What is a radiation storm called and how does it occur?
A cosmic radiation storm (solar proton event, or SPE) is caused by a powerful flare and ejection of plasma at the Sun. It reaches Earth in about an hour and can last for several days.
To rate the severity of a storm, a five-level system is used, called the S scale. According to this, a storm is assigned a value from S1 to S5, with S1 being the lowest and S5 being the extreme severity level.
What we know about the current outbreak
The solar flare occurred on January 29 at approximately 7:40 Moscow time and lasted a little over an hour. After it there was another powerful outbreak lasting up to half an hour.
The current storm is rated S2 for threat severity. The geomagnetic impact passed tangentially, so the effect will be reduced, perhaps it will not even cause a magnetic storm. If hit directly, its strength would exceed the strongest radiation storm recorded in the mid-19th century.
What effect does a radiation storm have on people and equipment?
In general, the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere shield the planet from cosmic radiation, so the consequences of radiation storms are not too dangerous for people and nature.
However, a radiation storm often causes a geomagnetic storm on Earth, which has a bad effect on people with weak hearts and blood vessels – headaches, weakness and dizziness may occur. The flow of oxygen to the organs is reduced, which leads to an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and angina pectoris and arrhythmia may occur.
In the polar zones, communication problems are likely; satellites may malfunction due to a drop in the efficiency of solar panels, which can lead to failures in navigation systems and electronic errors.
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