1. A Solar Crisis
An unprecedented scale of massive solar storms
wreaking havoc on Earth

2. “the more advanced the community is, the more vulnerable it is to the effects of outer space”
Pieter Kotze, geophysicist

3. What is a solar storm?
A solar storm is the colloquial
term of the result of solar flares
and coronal mass ejections
(CMEs) from the Sun. These are
massive discharges of
electromagnetic radiation and
high-energy particles.

4. What are the possible consequences of a solar storm?
CMEs are able to blow out the giant
transformers of power grids, causing
electrical outages to industrial,
commercial and residential
infrastructures.
As replacing such transformers can
require a lengthy time, problems like
crashing of stock market and rising
crime rate can arise.
The solar radiation storm in March 1989
blew out the Hydro-Quebec power grid,
blacking out the households of 6 million
Canadians.

5. What are the possible consequences of a solar storm?
Low Earth orbit satellites can be short-circuited and
have their lifespan decreased by a factor of ten,
according to study leader Yuri Shprits, a geophysicist
at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) can also be
disrupted.
According NASA, a powerful X-class solar flare
erupted on the sun on Dec 2006 and disrupted
satellite-to-ground communications and GPS
navigation signals for about 10 minutes.
These can cause dire effects on telecommunications
and navigation which can cripple many
transportation systems that we rely heavily on in our
daily lives .

6. What are the possible consequences of a solar storm?
In extreme cases, high levels of electromagnetic radiation can cause
electronics devices which can be found in every façade of our modern
society to fail.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of electromagnetic radiation can
also lead to a range of health issues such as cancer in the long run.

7. Possible responses for a solar storm disaster
Better forecasting and space weather predictions should be the focus to bring
about earlier warnings for governments to disseminate information to aid the
possible affected stakeholders to take measure to minimize the impact of solar
storms.
Power companies can raise the transformers trip level to decrease the
vulnerability to solar disruptions or take them offline before the solar storm
hits.
Due to cost efficiency and feasibility of upgrading existing satellites, various
stakeholders can improve on the design mitigation strategies for future
satellites.
At individual level, people can work out a solar storm preparedness plan that
includes an emergency meeting area for the family, how they can prepare an
adequate supply of food and water to last them through the disaster.

8. Thank you for your attention
Ethan Chung Erpei
ethanchungep@gmail.com