Presented by: Dan Baker, LASP, University of Colorado Boulder

Abstract: This presentation describes space weather impacts and their economic and societal costs. Modern technological society is characterized by a complex set of interdependencies across its critical infrastructures. These are vulnerable to the effects of intense geomagnetic storms and solar disturbances. Strong currents flowing in the ionosphere can disrupt and damage Earth-based electric power grids and contribute to the accelerated corrosion of oil and gas pipelines. Magnetic storm-driven ionospheric disturbances interfere with high-frequency radio communications and navigation signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. Exposure of spacecraft to solar particles and radiation belt enhancements can cause operational anomalies, damage critical electronics, degrade solar arrays, and blind optical systems such as imagers and star trackers. Moreover, intense solar particle events present a significant radiation hazard for astronauts during the high-latitude segment of the International Space Station (ISS) orbit as well as for future human explorers of the Moon and Mars. It is imperative that we—as a technological society—develop a truly operational space weather observing and modeling system in which accurate forecasts are effectively provided. In this talk we discuss current space weather prediction capabilities and steps being taken to improve forecasting abilities. We also describe progress being made to reduce the societal impacts from this major natural hazard.

Host: Mihaly Horanyi