US improves solar-storm predictions
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.0210119
Nature : Because of the damage solar storms can inflict on electrical power grids, a new prediction model has been developed that pinpoints which areas on Earth will most likely be affected by a given storm. Until now, solar storms could be predicted with some confidence, but which regions would be affected could not. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has upped its game by combining three models—one of Earth’s entire magnetosphere, one of its inner magnetosphere, and another for the upper atmosphere’s electrical activity—into a more sophisticated prediction system that draws data from a satellite located some 1.6 million km away. The new system can alert utility operators to impending storms about 20–60 minutes in advance.