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Article: Scales Forecast Space Storms That Might Disrupt Life on Earth.(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(s solar scales)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Best's Review
- Article date:
- March 1, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 A.M. Best Company, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During the next three years, U.S. satellites and power grids could be disrupted by intense solar activity, according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
As intense solar activity occurs, the sun bursts with explosive power. The effects on Earth may be electrical power outages, radio problems, disruption of pagers and the disabling of satellites, said James Baker, a NOAA administrator. The United States is especially vulnerable because of its increasing dependence on satellites.
During the last such solar cycle, which occurred in 1989, the entire province of Quebec in Canada went dark when a geomagnetic storm caused ...