A storm from the sun

Reprinted from the EPRI Journal, July/August 1989. Like a lightning stroke on a distant horizon, a sudden jump in magnetometer readings across eastern Canada at ten p.m. on March 12, foretold an approaching storm. By midnight official warnings had been sent out: a large burst of charged particles (a solar magnetic disturbance, or SMD) was on its way from the sun and would soon be interacting with the earths magnetic field. Power system operators as far south as Pennsylvania (USA) were told to expect a strong solar disturbance over the next several hours. In order to pool the rapidly growing information in this field, EPRI will hold a seminar November 8-10 for member utilities concerned about SMDs. During this seminar, which is being organized by project manager Ben Damsky, EPRI will present results from recent research, and utilities will be invited to share their experiences from the March SMD. In addition, future research needs will be considered.