Open AccessSpace weather research elucidates risks to technological infrastructure
Author(s) -
Jansen F.,
Pirjola R.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2004eo250002
Subject(s) - space weather , earth's magnetic field , solar wind , magnetosphere , geomagnetic storm , space physics , ionosphere , cosmic ray , geophysics , physics , space (punctuation) , space environment , storm , meteorology , environmental science , astronomy , magnetic field , computer science , quantum mechanics , operating system
“Space weather” refers to electromagnetic and particle conditions in space near the Earth that may produce problems for spaceborne and ground‐based technological systems, and which may even be dangerous to humans. Explosions on the Sun are the primary origin of space weather phenomena. The solar wind carries the effect to the Earth, and the interaction with the geomagnetic field affects the magnetosphere, which has a sharp boundary on the dayside and a long tail in the nightside. The plasmaphysical coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere is also important. The entire chain, starting from the Sun and ending at geomagnetic storms observed at the Earth's surface, involves complicated processes whose better understanding will lead to possibilities of avoiding harmful impacts. In space weather research, galactic cosmic rays have to be considered as a secondary source.