Scientists warn that a solar superstorm could trigger a railway disaster. Researchers have found that some train track circuits are affected by remote storms on the surface of the sun, which can lead to extreme space weather as a result of the train signal jumping from red to green and vice versa.
The Sun is a vibrant star with storms that throw radiation millions of miles into the solar system. A portion of this radiation bombards the Earth, potentially interfering with our technology and creating bright auroras in the sky. Space weather can even collapse power grids, triggering blackouts, as noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Center for Space Weather**. With the current position of the 11-year solar cycle, solar storms occur more frequently, causing problems for satellite operators.
Our research shows that space weather poses a serious, albeit relatively rare, risk to rail signaling systems, which can lead to delays and even more significant safety hazards," Cameron Patterson, a physicist at Lancaster University and lead author of the study, said in a university press release. "This natural disaster needs to be taken seriously. Due to their nature, high-impact, low-frequency events are difficult, but ignoring them is not the best way to develop. ”
Whenever a solar superstorm occurs, it has the ability to interfere with vital electronic equipment on Earth, from GPS systems to train signals. Previous research by a team led by Patterson found that signal failures (and reversals) could also occur in the other direction, turning green train signals into red. The team said these "right-side" faults could cause significant delays in the rail network as trains that were supposed to move suddenly stopped. But the "wrong side" failures of the newly proposed scenario are clearly more worrisome.
It is not yet clear when the next extreme solar storm will occur. "As our understanding of the risks of space weather continues to improve, it is possible to consider how to reduce them," Jim Wilder, a physicist at Lancaster University and co-author of the study, said in a press release. "In the future, we may see space weather being used to decide whether or not to restrict rail operations, just as weather can lead to extreme events. ”