GeoMagnetic Reversals

[lotrfan553455]

Does anyone know when was the last one? What would the consequenses be of one happening?

[Mr X]

As far as I remember it was some ten thousand years ago. When the magnetic field fades, it means more harmful radiation will pass to the earth's surface.

[Michelle]

Could we be seeing the start of this now? I read a report on the news about a huge gas ball that would hit the earths surface due now.

[Mr X]

Yes, it has been observed that the earth's magnetic field is slowly starting to fade out. We are now in the beginning of this slowly moving process.

About the gas ball, I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Michelle]

Sorry. The sun as reported on the news last night is having a huge storm and it currently has a huge sun spot. The earth is suppose to be hit by the energy from this activity. They called it a fiery gas ball. It hasn't hit yet and quite probably won't. If it did happen it could knock out satellites and communication.

[Mr X]

This has happened before, solar wind has been interfering with the electrical systems on earth a few times. Sometimes earth just "flies" into the stream that comes from a solar flare, which means there will be auroras and stuff. If the solar wind is strong enough, it could interfere with some electrical equipment ie. sattelites.

[VegasRonin]

The earth is suppose to be hit by the energy from this activity.
Yes, this has happened before. So far the coronal discharge has only interrupted communication at Mt. Everest. Its impact is not yet known as its still happening. A Coronal Discharge, not this large, once impacted Canada. The effect was a loss of a large portion of their power grid and communication array.

[lazserus]

As far as I remember it was some ten thousand years ago.
If this actually happened, it would have been a lot longer than 10,000 years ago. If the ozone, atmosphere, and stratosphere were missing, all life on the planet would die pretty abruptly form that radiation.

We're talking high short wave length/high frequency ultra-violet radiation.

[lotrfan553455]

I just saw a sunspot!!! Is this possible, there were 2 dark spots on the sun, an I imagining things? Or is this possible. Also, I'm looking out the window and I'm seeing the auroura in OCTOBER, I usually see them in January? This is weird.

[VegasRonin]

I'm looking out the window and I'm seeing the auroura in OCTOBER, I usually see them in January? This is weird.
Don't know if you're being serious or not but atmospheric lights were supposed to be a part of this current coronal discharge. You should film it for those of us that can't see the show.

[Roland]

The Earth's magnetic field was bombarded with extra energy from the Sun on Friday when a geomagnetic storm sent charged particles that affected electric utilities, airline communications and satellite navigation systems.

"We predicted it would be a mid-level storm, a G-3, and that's where it is," said Joe Kunches, chief of space weather operations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Centre in Boulder, Colorado.

The storm started around 11:00am (local time) and is expected to last through the weekend, Mr Kunches said.

Electric utilities and other high technology users were notified about the storm and no serious problems have been reported.

"We've heard from the power grid operators. They're doing OK, but they're seeing the effects of the storm in their data," Mr Kunches said.

In a G-3 storm, power systems may need to correct voltage.

Communications systems in northern Canada have also seen some impact from the effects of the storm.

During the storm the sun sends more energy toward the Earth than usual.

"The earth's magnetic field pulls it in ... and is now trying to balance it," Mr Kunches said.

The effect can be felt worldwide and may even be more intense on the side of the Earth in darkness which is trying to "dump" the extra energy, he said.

--Reuters

[Roland]

I'm worried that solar storms are going to get bigger and affect the earth. Is it at all possible that the excess energy could topple the earth one day or is it a more deep fry effect for us?

[lazserus]

I don't know about topple, but the storms are definitely going to get worse. Our sun is a Medium Yellow, and it's going to expand into a Red Giant (although not for another 5 billion years). Storms will get worse, but I wouldn't worry about them getting that bad within the next 2 billion years. ;)

[evilwill88]

We'll be right then.

I suppose that will mean mass climate changes on the other planets as well. Perhaps making them livable?

[Susie]

Magnetic field reversals happen on average about once every half a million years. The last one was 700 000 years ago, when the magnetic field changed from the Matayama reversed to the Bruhnes normal magnetic epoch. Palaeomagnetic dating is useful in geology for dating rock formations since minerals or detrital grains in rocks retain the direction of the ambient magnetic field in which they formed. Magnetic reversals were first noticed in oceanic crust. When magma erupts at mid-ocean ridge, the minerals in it align with the ambient magnetic field as it cools. Oceanic crust is arranged in strips of 'normal' and 'reversed' magnetism as you get further away from the ridge and hence into older crust. Since this phenomenon has occurred on a pretty regular basis throughout earth history i don't imagine it'll have a huge effect on life on earth. As someone has already said, the intensity of the magnetic field is markedly decreased at the moment. It has been suggested that a pole shift may occur soon.

[lotrfan553455]

I dunno about filming the show but people from Pheonix, Arizona(spaceweather.com) can see then you probaby should see it in Las Vegas. Well, Armageddon and Dutchie should be able to see them, their north of Minneapolis. I am assuming armageddon lives in London and Dutchie lives in Amsterdam but if they didn't the lived in the southern most points of their contries they would still be able to see them.

Would sunspots make the earth warmer of colder?

[lazserus]

It's electromagnetic energy. It won't really alter the climate of the planet.

[lotrfan553455]

I took pictures of the aurora but there kinda bad becouse some houses are blocking the way but I'll get post when I get them developed.

[VegasRonin]

Cool. :cool:

[lotrfan553455]

wwc.instacam.com/instacam...3120031703 (http://wwc.instacam.com/instacamimg/lsvg7/lsvg7_l.jpg?rnd=15-103120031703)

See, an aurora in you hometown of Las Vegas!

[lazserus]

I came across the article below yesterday and thought it could answer some questions. It's a bit technical, but from what I'm getting from it is that the reversals are very natural and happen quite often.

What causes the periodic reversals of the earth's magnetic field? (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0002B1A2-BD8F-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&catID=3&topicID=22)

[eben]

Here's some good rational information on the subject:

2012 Explained - Why it shouldn't be feared (http://www.2012explained.com)
Daily Common Sense - What is that polar shift thing? (http://www.dailycommonsense.com/?p=13)

Enjoy!

Ben.

[Energy]

I came across the article below yesterday and thought it could answer some questions. It's a bit technical, but from what I'm getting from it is that the reversals are very natural and happen quite often.

What causes the periodic reversals of the earth's magnetic field? (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0002B1A2-BD8F-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&catID=3&topicID=22)

Earth's magnetic field is fading. Today it is about 10 percent weaker than it was when German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss started keeping tabs on it in 1845, scientists say.