January 8, 2008
New Sun Spot Activity Threatens Mobile Phone Networks
A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activityshowed signs it was on its way late Thursday when the cycle's first sunspot appeared in the sun's Northern Hemisphere, NOAA scientists have said.
A sunspot is an area of highly organized magnetic activity on the surface of the sun. The new 11-year cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, is expected to build gradually, with the number of sunspots and solar storms reaching a maximum by 2011 or 2012, though devastating storms can occur at any time.
During a solar storm, highly charged material ejected from the sun may head toward Earth, where it can bring down power grids, disrupt critical communications, and threaten astronauts with harmful radiation.
Storms can also knock out commercial communications satellites and swamp GPS signals. Routine activities such as talking on a cell phone or getting money from an ATM machine could suddenly halt over a large part of the globe.
[via Cellular News]
Related:
-- Solar Flares Could Disable Mobile Phones
-- Scientists find reason for dropped calls
-- Solar bursts may threaten Global Positioning System
-- Solar Flares Could Disable Mobile Phones
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