8 hours ago ... NASA is warning a new sunspot spewing powerful X-class flares is beginning to rotate to a position directly in line with Earth. A direct hit on Earth from an X-class flare could cause major disruptions – or even destruction – to the U.S. electrical grid, which already is very vulnerable, as well as to life-sustaining critical infrastructures dependent on the grid to function. NASA said the warning regarding the sunspot, AR 2151, could last for weeks. The flares from AR 2151 were first detected Sunday by NASA’s powerful Solar Dynamics Observatory and Solar Helospheric Observatory, or SOHO, a joint NASA and European Space Agency activity. In response to defense-system vulnerabilities to an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, strike, the Defense Department has decided to harden all its “ground-, air-, maritime, and space-based platforms, electronic and electrical systems, subsystems and equipment.” Until now, DOD has left it to DHS to deal with protection of the electrical grid from an EMP event. Yet, DOD facilities rely 99 percent on the vulnerable civilian electrical grid to function. While it own platforms and equipment may be hardened against an EMP event up to an E3 level, characterized by a very slow pulse, the bases could become defenseless, depending on backup generators. wnd/2014/08/nasa-dangerous-sunspot-aligning-with-earth/
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 04:14:35 +0000