The National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center of the China Meteorological Administration issued a geomagnetic storm warning, saying that geomagnetic storms above moderate or even geomagnetic storms may occur on December 1, and geomagnetic activity is expected to continue until December 2. Cai Zheng, an associate professor at the Department of Astronomy at Tsinghua University, explained that magnetic storms are a phenomenon caused by solar activity, in which the high-energy particles emitted by the sun interact with the earth's magnetic field, which will have a certain impact on electronic communication products and have little impact on the health of ordinary people.
In addition to producing beautiful auroras at high latitudes, magnetic storms may have other effects on the Earth and human activities. Cai Zheng said that magnetic storms may affect the propagation of radio waves, thereby interfering with ground communications and satellite signals, which may affect the accuracy of navigation satellite systems, as well as the signal quality of mobile phones and satellite television. At the same time, strong magnetic storms can have an impact on the power transmission system, increase the current load on the transmission line, and sometimes even cause damage to transformers or other grid facilities, causing power outages.
Magnetic storms can also have an impact on satellite and aviation flights. Cai Zheng said that the high-energy particles produced by magnetic storms can cause damage to satellites in orbit and affect their normal operation, which may lead to data loss or satellite dysfunction. On the other hand, aircraft flying at high latitudes may be exposed to higher levels of radiation due to magnetic storms, and airlines sometimes change routes to reduce radiation exposure for passengers and crew.
Cai Zheng said that at present, research on the direct health effects of magnetic storms on human beings is still ongoing, but there are theories that strong geomagnetic activity may affect the migration and navigation ability of animals. "More of the impact could be on astronauts working in environments such as the International Space Station, where radiation increases during magnetic storms and astronauts often need to take extra precautions. ”
Geodetic Storm Warning!Auroras have appeared in many places in China, and navigation may be "ineffective" in recent days
*: Beijing **client).
Editor: Jin Xin].
*: Beijing **client).