[IGSMAIL-4724]: SIDC: input from you

[Carine Bruyninx]

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IGS Electronic Mail      25 Nov 00:43:52 PST 2003      Message Number 4724
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Author: SIDC (forwarded by C. Bruyninx)

Dear colleagues,

The SIDC, Solar Influences Data analysis Center, part of the Royal=20
Observatory of Brussels, would like to ask for your help as a company or=20
as a private person. First of all, I would like to sketch the background=20
leading to this question.

The last week of October was a week of extremely high solar activity.=20
October 28 and 29, the sun showed us some fireworks by producing two=20
tremendously high energy flares each companied by a coronal mass ejection=
=20
and a proton storm. The Rontgen and EUV radiation of these flares belonge=
d=20
to the most intense ever measured. Protons were hitting satellites and=20
the earth, and disrupting technical systems. The impact of the coronal=20
plasma cloud on the earth's magnetic field triggered a geomagnetic storm.=
=20
This message relates to the consequences on earth. We take a pick from th=
e=20
large collection of possible consequences.
*       Technological systems situated outside the earth's atmosphere,=20
        like satellites, were severely disrupted by the solar and proton=20
        storms.
*       Pilots and aircrew were at that moment exposed to an elevated=20
        dose of radiation.
*       On the ground level at earth, all technology depending on=20
        satellites and radio communication were disturbed. GPS-users=20
        could only determine their positions with limited accuracy.
*       Electricity failures,
*       Poor or even interrupted radio communication,
*       induced currents in pipe lines leading to a quick aging,
*       =E2=80=A6...

Those solar phenomena fit into a larger framework: Space Weather. There=20
is for sure a growing interest towards the influences of space weather on=
=20
our earth, especially on our technological systems. These recent=20
explosive events caused an even bigger interest from all sides of our=20
society.

We are trying now to make a compilation of all disturbances noticed durin=
g=20
that last week of October. From here we need your input as a company, or=20
private person. We have 3 concrete questions:
1.      Were there any unusual disturbances or noticeable events?
2.      Did you take any measures or actions because of the expected=20
        solar activity and storms?
3.      If you used our services during that crucial week, do you have=20
        any remarks?
You can return us your answers by including them in a reply to=20
us (Solar Influence Data Center <sidc at ksb-orb.oma.be>).
As a scientific institute, but most of all as a forecast and warning=20
center, we shall certainly appreciate your contribution.

We invite you to have a look at our website http://sidc.oma.be for more=20
information about the general working of the SIDC as a space weather=20
warning center. We provide you a timely service that allows you to act=20
instantaneous on real-time developments in space weather. In the future,=20
we will offer our clients a totally renewed website, to better meet the=20
needs of companies and the general public. We thank you in advance and=20
look forward to your possibly very interesting contribution.


The SIDC (Solar Influences Data analysis Center) team
Royal Observatory of Belgium