Feb., 24, 2011
BRITAIN must improve emergency planning for a solar storm, or face space weather bringing the country to a standstill, the UK government's chief scientist has warned.
An increased use of technology has left the UK vulnerable to space weather activity, said Professor John Beddington at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington DC today.
Electrical transformers, power cables and pipelines, as well as cell phones, GPS and other satellite technologies are all at risk in the event of a solar storm, which appears more likely as the sun prepares to enter a more active phase of its 11-year cycle in 2013.
"I raised the issue with the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat, arguing that it needs to be higher up the agenda," he told The Times.
"That is happening. I've advised that this is a serious concern. We're moving in the next two years into the peak of the solar cycle."
"There is an analogy here with volcanic ash," he went on. "It's a natural event which has a certain frequency. With 20-20 hindsight, we should have recognized the chance of disruption from volcanic ash, given the frequency of eruptions in Iceland, and we didn't."
"We need to learn from that experience," he added. "This was a natural event that wasn't expected, which as it transpired caused major problems. Space weather could be significantly more problematic, so we need to be prepared."
As the sun's activity goes up, more eruptions of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles head towards earth. The planet is protected by its magnetic field, but GPS satellites can be affected. Last week a powerful solar eruption disrupted radio communications and forced some airlines to reroute flights away from the polar regions.
The US government estimated that in the worst case, a solar storm could cost the world economy as much as $2 trillion.