28 June 2015 to 3 July 2015
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
SAIP2015 Proceeding published on 17 July 2016

PLENARY: Space Weather – why should we care?

30 Jun 2015, 12:10
1h
Oral Presentation Track H - Plenaries Plenary

Speaker

Prof. Michael Kosch (SANSA)

Level for award<br>&nbsp;(Hons, MSc, <br> &nbsp; PhD, N/A)?

N/A

Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution

N/A

Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?

No

Please indicate whether<br>this abstract may be<br>published online<br>(Yes / No)

Yes

Abstract content <br> &nbsp; (Max 300 words)<br><a href="http://events.saip.org.za/getFile.py/access?resId=0&materialId=0&confId=34" target="_blank">Formatting &<br>Special chars</a>

There is much talk about how potentially dangerous space weather storms are to modern society. However, mankind has survived for millennia and therefore many a solar storm long before we even knew they existed or were a problem. So just how vulnerable are we? In this presentation we review the chain of events from solar eruptions to geomagnetic storms as well as some impacts on the space environment, atmosphere, and technology. Example impacts relate to radiation hazards for spacecraft and human spaceflight, the radiative and chemical balance of the atmosphere, and power outages on the ground, respectively. How can developing countries contribute to this important science? The effective use of relatively low-cost ground-based instrumentation is introduced.

Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> &nbsp; award (Yes / No)?

No

Primary author

Prof. Michael Kosch (SANSA)

Presentation Materials