More on solar disasters

Last August, I noted a Scientific American article about the great danger that a large solar storm of could cause to modern infrastructure. A big event of the kind that last happened in 1859 could cause massive disruption for weeks or months.

Now New Scientist visits the issue, as a result of a new NASA sponsored study that looks at the possible disaster.

The basic problem is the nature of the damage to the electrical system:

According to the NAS report, a severe space weather event in the US could induce ground currents that would knock out 300 key transformers within about 90 seconds, cutting off the power for more than 130 million people (see map). From that moment, the clock is ticking for America....

The truly shocking finding is that this whole situation would not improve for months, maybe years: melted transformer hubs cannot be repaired, only replaced. "From the surveys I've done, you might have a few spare transformers around, but installing a new one takes a well-trained crew a week or more," says Kappenman. "A major electrical utility might have one suitably trained crew, maybe two."

Within a month, then, the handful of spare transformers would be used up. The rest will have to be built to order, something that can take up to 12 months.

That's an amazing thought, isn't it?: a huge part of the world having a permanent black out for months. As the study notes, a blackout of that length affects everything; water supply, fuel supply, food supply. As least survivalists would finally feel their preparation was worth it.

The article notes that the main satellite which would give short warning of the coming storm (and perhaps allow some electricity utilities to take some action to limit damage) is aging and no replacement is planned. Sounds very obvious that this is one early warning system that should not be allowed to lapse.