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Scientists prepare for violent solar storms next year and establish a global chain of monitoring stations to study so called the “solar maximum.”
A significant increase in the number of sunspots is expected will cause changes in the Earth’s ionosphere, the plasma shell in the upper parts of the atmosphere. There are fears because the current generation satellite navigation technology has never experienced “solar maximum, “as well as changes in the ionosphere can cause problems with GPS and other signals from space.
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Sunspots were observed when the moon moved to the position of the total eclipse when observed from the United States in May.
Activity is growing: This graph shows how solar and geomagnetic indices rise again after the lull following last solar maximum. Solar activity level marked in orange; total solar flux the amount of energy is green; geomagnetic level tracking indices magnetic storms around the earth – blue and pink.
The ionosphere is a layer of electrically charged particles under the strong influence of the sun. With the onset space age radio signals orbiting satellites steel go through the ionosphere, and today everyday life is more than ever depends on these space systems. During sunny maximum, a large number of sunspots appear, and emissions energies grow by about 0.1 percent. Increased solar emissions are believed to affect global climate and weather conditions.
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The ionosphere becomes the most turbulent as it grows heating the sun, and with evening cooling leads to turbulence – including the formation of “plasma bubbles. ”
The effect on radio communication systems includes signal delays – a major contributing factor to satellite navigation, which is based on high precision – up to a billionth of a second. And if the signal is scattered, there is a “flicker”, instability. To monitor the effect of the solar maximum on the top Earth’s atmosphere and the implications for satellite navigation and communications, European Space Agency sets up station chains monitoring around the world. “Currently, the network of monitors is all soft ionospheric storms are still under development, but said Roberto Prieto-Serdeira, the scientist in charge of the project.
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Monitoring stations work by measuring changes in signals GPS with greater accuracy than existing systems. “We host sensor stations around the world but places near the equator are of particular interest, “added Dr. Prieto Serdeira.” They have much more dynamic behavior than similar ones in mid-latitudes, which is why we created the station in Cape Verde, near the shores of West Africa and Malindi, Kenya, on the other side continent.
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“In addition, under an agreement with the French Space Agency CNES, we will have access to stations in Libreville, Gabon and Ascension Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Last place interesting in that the magnetic equator and geographic not match. During a solar maximum, magnetic lines of force our stars are most distorted due to the fact that the magnetic fields of the solar equator rotate somewhat faster than at the solar poles. The solar cycle lasts an average of about 11 years, passing from one solar maximum to another. Change durations range from 9 to 14 years for any this solar cycle. Most solar flares like usually occur during high. For example, sun 1859 hit the Earth with such intensity that the northern the radiance was visible far in the south, in Rome, about 42 ° north of equator.
The last solar maximum occurred in 2000. In 2006 NASA initially expected a solar maximum in 2010 or 2011, and suggested that he might be the strongest since 1958. Not less recent forecasts say the maximum will fall 2013 and will be the smallest sunspot cycle since 1906 of the year.
(Based on dailymail materials)
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