Solar Headaches to Come
National Geographic is reporting that we can expect a season of intense solar flares for the next few weeks and months. This is all part of a normal 11 year cycle in solar flare activity, but it can lead to some distinct headaches in our tech heavy world. As the article notes, this is the first cycle where GPS is widespread – and GPS is one of the systems most easily affected by solar flares. It will be interesting to see how much impact these flares have on our day to day lives, particularly in the geospatial community. So, for the next few weeks/months, if you’re doing GPS field work, you might want to bring a book!
One Reply to “Solar Headaches to Come”
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The intensity is not going to increase dramatically in the “next few weeks and months”. The new cycle is just beginning and we are currently at minimum. It will be several years before we reach the next maximum – where there will be a large increase in solar activity.