What Is A Plasma Space Storm?

unicornrose

Dec 6 2005, 05:59 PM

I was just reading an article on Yahoo News calledWay-Out Weather: Cold Fronts in Space

It is about how scientists are trying to find ways to predict and give warning about plasma storms. It also explains what a plama storm is.

A plasma storm is caused by solar winds. The sun sends off plasma and wind and it flys toward the earth. When the solar winds hit the earth's upper atmosphere it causes magnetic disturbances in the atmosphere which in turn causes disturbances in radio waves and other terestrial communcations. I believe most people have heard of times when the news has warned us that communications might go a little haywire. Well this is the reason why. I realize my explaination is not the most technical but you can read the article by clicking the above link. I just thought it was very interesting and wanted to share.

Plenoptic

Dec 6 2005, 08:45 PM

Pretty interesting article. Now I know that if I buy a GPS system what is going on if it messes up. I would like to see one of those storms or what the radar detects them as. I know it looks like cold fronts but I would like to actually see it. Thanks for the find, I am going to use it for a current event at school.

Mysterio

Dec 6 2005, 09:12 PM

Yes i currently read it in the same place to. Just like the big spot in Saturn. Know what it is? It is the most powerful storm on in the solar system. Winds pass 1000mph! A hurricane storn to us is 160mph is powerful.

fraudulentpeanut

Dec 21 2005, 09:25 PM

I do not see the great use in being able to predict plasma storms. They are going to happen either way and honestly, when is the last time a plasma storm ever affected you personally in any way.

unicornrose

Dec 23 2005, 03:09 PM

QUOTE(fraudulentpeanut @ Dec 21 2005, 02:25 PM)

I do not see the great use in being able to predict plasma storms. They are going to happen either way and honestly, when is the last time a plasma storm ever affected you personally in any way.

The use of knowing when a plasma storm will hit is great. Especially since the earth's protective atmosphere is slowly being depleted by human industry and technological advances. Not to mention all the environmental impact of the logging industry etc. As the ozone layer is made thinner and thinner the protection we have from plasma storms is lesser and lesser all the time. Also as the sun ages with the earth the plasma storms will not only get worse they will come at more frequency. As this earth becomes more technicalogically advanced the more things that will be affected by the plasma storms and the magnetic waves etc that come with it. Yes it may seem like you are not directly affected yet by the storms but in time it may become more of a reality.

Cerb

Dec 23 2005, 09:46 PM

It seems that the article has been taken down, as the link no longer works. Did anyone happen to save it or know of a mirror site?

Dark God

Dec 23 2005, 11:50 PM

Well I know plasma is electricity. It can be applied in a glass ball you plug into the wall for power. Cameras can't pick it up. So I guess it is some sort of special storm that involves thunder, and plasma gas created as a result.

unicornrose

Dec 25 2005, 12:09 PM

QUOTE(Cerb @ Dec 23 2005, 02:46 PM)

It seems that the article has been taken down, as the link no longer works. Did anyone happen to save it or know of a mirror site?

The story is still up. You must have picked a bad time to look but here it is in its entirety.

QUOTE

New insight into giant space weather systems that sometimes buffet Earth is expected to help scientists better predict when radio and other terrestrial communication systems will be impeded.

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The electrified storms result when Earth’s upper atmosphere is energized by clouds of charged particles kicked up by solar storms.

Researchers at NASA and the National Science Foundation found a way to combine ground and space observations to create an unprecedented view of the upper-atmosphere disturbances. They resemble weather cold fronts down on the surface, the researchers said.

The near-space storms develop when hot gas called plasma builds up in Earth’s ionosphere. The plasma impedes low- and high-frequency radio communications and delays Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation signals.

"People knew there was a space storm that must have disrupted their system, but they had no idea why," said Tony Mannucci of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Now we know it's not just chaos; there is cause and effect. We are beginning to put together the full picture, which will ultimately let us predict space storms."

The researchers have linked movement of the plumes to processes that release plasma into space.

"Discovering this link is like discovering the movement of cold fronts is responsible for sudden thunderstorms," said Jerry Goldstein of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.

The plumes cause GPS position errors by time delaying the propagation of GPS signals. And the turbulence they generate causes receivers to lose the signal through an effect known as scintillation, similar to the apparent twinkling of stars caused by atmospheric turbulence.

The research team actually used the GPS disturbances to build their new model of how the storms behave.

As plasma from a solar storm blows by, it generates an electric field that is transmitted to Earth’s natural plasmasphere and ionosphere. This electric field then propels plasma from the ionosphere and the plasmasphere out into space.

"We also know these disturbances occur most often between noon and dusk, and between mid to high latitudes, due to the global structure of the electric and magnetic fields during space storms," said Anthea Coster of the Haystack Observatory. "Ground and space based, and in situ measurements are allowing scientists to understand the ionosphere-thermosphere-magnetosphere as a coupled system."

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Eikon

Dec 25 2005, 07:37 PM

Really interesting stuff, but I don't think we should be spending very much money on things that aren't really effecting us that much.

salamangkero

Aug 31 2006, 05:07 PM

QUOTE(fraudulentpeanut @ Dec 22 2005, 05:25 AM)

I do not see the great use in being able to predict plasma storms. They are going to happen either way and honestly, when is the last time a plasma storm ever affected you personally in any way.

I do agree. What's the point anyway? It'd be of use only for people who design satellites.

QUOTE(unicornrose @ Dec 23 2005, 11:09 PM)

The use of knowing when a plasma storm will hit is great. Especially since the earth's protective atmosphere is slowly being depleted by human industry and technological advances.

Everyone already knows our planet's defenses are failing and we need to stem the cause of such depletions. Still, we don't need plasma storm predictions for that. It'd be almost like saying, "Oookay, a storm's coming, Fred, cut down on the CFC's for a while, will yah?" And then, "Great, the storm has passed. George, will you hand me that aerosol can?"

QUOTE(unicornrose @ Dec 23 2005, 11:09 PM)

Also as the sun ages with the earth the plasma storms will not only get worse they will come at more frequency.

I'm not so sure about that. I am certain that as the sun ages, indeed as time s imply passes by, chances are you'd be seeing more of any kind of phenomenon. However, whether plasma storms become more frequent or not is of very debatable veracity.

What Is A Plasma Space Storm? - Almost like a cold front on earth.

What Is A Plasma Space Storm? - Almost like a cold front on earth.