James Carafano on Solar Tsunamis and EMP
In his latest Washington Examiner column, missile defense expert James Carafano compares a solar-induced power surge with the man-made electromagnetic pulse (EMP), caused by the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the atmosphere.
“Last week we were attacked by the sun,” Carafano writes. “For real. Huge solar eruptions sent a blast of radiation toward Earth. Thankfully, the planet’s natural magnetic shield warded off the worst effects. Life went on uninterrupted.
“That won’t always be the case. In 1859, Richard Carrington recorded what is now called the ‘Carrington Effect’ — intense solar activity that can disrupt modern life dramatically….In Carrington’s day, there were few electromechanical systems for intense solar radiation to mess with. The new fangled telegraph systems suffered the most. Solar-induced power surges knocked some operators from their chairs and set fire to the paper rolls used to record dashes and dots.
“Fortunately, no Carrington Effect has occurred since the whole world became electrified. But scientists worry about what might happen when a real solar tsunami hits.”
Preparing for a solar power surge will also prepare us for an EMP attack, says Carafano. Such an explosion would interact with the planet’s magnetic fields, creating a pulse, which in turn would cause widespread damage, devastate the economy, and result in millions of deaths.
If the U.S. experiences an EMP attack, most of “Canada would die, too. Its infrastructure is integrated with the U.S. power grid. Without the American economic engine, the world economy would quickly collapse. Much of the world’s intellectual property (half of it is in the United States) would be lost as well. The Earth would likely recede into the ‘new’ Dark Ages.”
Sounds like the plot of a science fiction novel, doesn’t it? But the possibility is all too real.
Tags: EMP, James Carafano