Geomagnetic Storms Could Blow Away the Power Grid

[Ilsa]

http://smartenergyportal.net/article/geomagnetic-storms-could-blow-away-power-grid-fixes-are-possible-when-and-if-we-get-concerne?YM_MID=1296124&YM_RID=kdl8%40pge.com

(cross-posted from Environment & Energy)

Geomagnetic Storms Could Blow Away the Power Grid: Fixes are Possible When And If We Get Concerned Enough

Snip

It took the 12 hour Northeast blackout of 1965, which knocked out power to 30 million customers, to get us seriously working on coordinated, interstate transmission standards. The result was the formation of the North American Reliability Council (NERC) in 1968. We can also thank the disaster for pushing the development of transmission SCADA and programmable relays. There have been other less spectacular area-wide transmission outages since then (particularly in the Northeast for some reason). These have also resulted in major (overdue) operating changes.

Waiting for disasters to occur in order to take action may save a few bucks, but sometimes the potential risk is so high you can’t afford to let happenstance happen. You don’t want to check for a possible retinal aneurism by continuing to lift weights at the gym!

When we discuss grid security we usually are thinking ‘cyber-security’. But the power system is far more vulnerable to other types of attacks, such as physical destruction of critical system components. These mostly go ignored. (see Cyber-threat or Cyber-hype?)

Then there’s the 800 pound-gorilla-sleeping-in-the-closet threat: a geomagnetic storm which, if big enough, could shut down the world’s power grids so destructively that they would be out for weeks, possibly months.

Snip

[Liberal Veteran]

1. And right on cue...Sunspot AR1429 just let loose an X5 flare.

Big sunspot AR1429 has unleashed another major flare. This one is the strongest yet, an X5-class eruption on March 7th at 00:28 UT

Too soon to tell if CME is directed at us.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Update - R3 Radio blackout now in progress

2012-03-07 01:03 Strong Solar Eruption; Earth-Directed CME Likely

An R3 (Strong) Radio Blackout is now in progress, beginning about 7:00 p.m. EST today. The site of the eruption, previously active Region 1429, is now near center disk, so there's high-potential of an earth-directed CME. In addition, expect the imminent beginning of a Solar Radiation Storm. Analysis now occurring on both fronts, watch here for updates.
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

[Ilsa]

5. I wonder what the politicians think about this?

I wonder if they are concerned about how horrible life could get if electricity was knocked out for months.

[Bigmack]

8. Politicians "think?"

Not the vast majority of them. Alas. Ms Bigmack

[Mojorabbit]

3. When do you think they will know if we will be hit? nt

[TalkingDog]

4. Here's a good guesstimate... and it's pretty too.

http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080/IswaSystemWebApp/iSWACygnetStreamer?timestamp=2038-01-23+00%3A44%3A00&window=-1&cygnetId=261

from NASA

[Mojorabbit]

6. Thanks! nt

[dipsydoodle]

7. Fears of disruption as big solar storm hits the Earth

The Earth is currently being battered by a storm of charged particles from the Sun, which could disrupt power grids, satellite navigation and plane routes.

The storm - the largest in five years - will bombard the Earth's magnetic field throughout Thursday.

It was triggered by a pair of solar flares - the largest of their kind - earlier this week.

As a result, the Northern Lights may be visible at lower latitudes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17295337 8 March 2012 Last updated at 09:50