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SPACE WEATHER POLICY AND EFFECTS
Author(s) -
Jonas Seth,
McCarron Eoin,
Murtagh William
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
insight
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2156-4868
pISSN - 2156-485X
DOI - 10.1002/inst.12121
Subject(s) - space weather , preparedness , interdependence , resilience (materials science) , spacecraft , extreme weather , space environment , human spaceflight , space (punctuation) , vulnerability (computing) , emergency management , space policy , critical infrastructure , computer science , environmental science , computer security , meteorology , climate change , engineering , geography , political science , aerospace engineering , ecology , physics , geophysics , biology , geology , law , thermodynamics , operating system
Space weather events have the potential to negatively affect technology and energy infrastructures that are essential contributors to national security, economic vitality, and daily functioning. The term “space weather” refers to the naturally occurring, dynamic conditions of the space environment that arise from emissions from the sun, which include solar flares, solar energetic particles, and coronal mass ejections. These emissions can interact with Earth, potentially degrading, disrupting, or damaging electric power systems; satellite, aircraft, and spacecraft operations; telecommunications; position, navigation, and timing services; and other technologies and infrastructures. As these technologies become increasingly ubiquitous and interdependent, the world faces greater risks from the threats posed by space weather events. Critical infrastructures make up diverse, complex, interdependent systems of systems in which the failure of one could cascade to another. Understanding this threat and the effects of space weather on critical systems is crucial to enhancing preparedness and building resilience. This article (1) provides readers with an overview of the space weather phenomena most likely to degrade, disrupt, or damage critical infrastructures; (2) describes the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's process for communicating space weather conditions and their possible effects on critical systems; and (3) details current Federal and international efforts to enhance space weather preparedness.