11 Year Cycle of Space Weather May Affect GPS

Posted on 10. Jan, 2008 by Derek in News

Solar Flare

In a recent report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have stated that an 11-year solar cycle could potentially have consequences for technology reliant on satellite information transmission. In an increasingly technology dependant society, this could have all sorts of implications for the military, airlines, power companies, as well as individuals reliant on this technology driven by satellites.

The problem stems from a natural 11 year solar cycle, during which the sun will peak at a maximum level of solar activity, and produce a number of solar weather phenomena, including solar storms, sunspots, and solar flares. The resultant solar radiation is harmless to us here on earth, as it is dissipated through the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field, however could cause problems for the hundreds of satellites in Earth’s orbit.

The impending solar cycle is unlikely to affect individuals at any significant level. Users of GPS navigation devices are at worst likely to experience occasional glitches on their satellite navigation devices. However, larger organisations such as the military, airlines, and power companies are likely to experience significantly more disruption as these organisations are more reliant on precision information.

The Solar cycle is due to commence this March, beginning with a minimum of solar activity, and gradually reaching a maximum peak over the course of the 11 year cycle.

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