Mike Hapgood

Space weather scientist building links with user community. Putting meaning into impact.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Now published, a review of the science we used to develop Space Weather Reasonable Worst Case Scenarios for the UK National Risk Assessment, https://t.co/qQGNkON5vG

[European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) @ESPIspace]

If you work on Space Weather, take part in our new survey! ESPI & @esa are co-hosting a panel on Space Weather Operational Governance at #ESWW2024 on Nov. 7, and your input will help shape the discussion. Share your vision — survey closes Oct. 31. 🔗 [https://t.co/ORIEMTk8xC]

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

The successful end of a great science mission, after 24 years in space, 14 years building the mission, and many years before that in which the mission concept was developed to the point that ESA could approve the idea and start building.

[ESA Cluster @ESA_Cluster]

Last night, at 00:00, we have switched off the payload on all the remaining spacecraft and this morning we have successfully downlinked all the remaining science data on-board.

[ESA Cluster @ESA_Cluster]

Right about now, Cluster's Salsa satellite is taking the plunge into Earth's atmosphere.

Farewell, Salsa! Thank you for your service!🫡

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

A grand finale for a wonderful scientific mission. First proposed to ESA in 1982, it was finally launched in 2000 and has delivered a wealth of science over the past 24 years.

[RAL Space @RAL_Space_STFC]

☀️🌍After 24 years in space, the first of 4 satellites making up @ESA_Cluster is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere this Sunday.

We spoke to Anne from our satellite operations team about our involvement in the mission and how the team is feeling ahead of Cluster's grand finale👇

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Space weather makes the front page! The UK's Daily Star reports some great research by colleagues at @LancasterUni.

[Prof Jim Wild @jim_wild]

Not everyday your research makes the front-page! Great work by Cameron Patterson @CardiffCam highlighted in the Daily Star. Love the headline! Our research paper with all the details should be published in @theAGU's Space Weather journal later today @LancasterUni @LancUniPhysics

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Evidence from the archives adds to our understanding of extreme geomagnetic storms: just published, a new analysis of the extreme space weather events of 1872 February: https://t.co/CWiIS3ZbI3 via @AAS_Publishing

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Space weather is complex, just like normal weather. It's important to understand which weather feature causes which problems.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

New analysis of cosmogenic isotope data adds to the evidence base for multiple severe radiation storms over past 15000 years.
https://t.co/CKpkBt3aDz

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Sadly much of the media commentary on the new paper confuses radiation storms with geomagnetic storms, and rambles off into an inappropriate discussion of risks to power grids.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

This evidence helps us assess the risk from severe radiation storms that can affect electronic systems, not just in space, but also on aircraft and the ground.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

First "tweet" for a while- stimulated by a thoughtful article on UK preparedness for severe space weather https://t.co/aG18mS6tCU

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Some interesting ideas for refining @IAGA__AIGA polar cap indices, not least towards real-time use in #spaceweather operations

[AGU (American Geophysical Union) @theAGU]

Stauning (2022) shows that updated procedures enable use of a wide network of polar magnetometers to monitor energy flow into the tail of Earth’s magnetosphere during the growth phase of substorms.

Check out @space_weather’s highlight: https://t.co/6VirydQNLC

#AGUPubs

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

SpaceX – sailing close to the space weather? Editorial piece exploring #spaceweather lessons to be learned from recent loss of 38 Starlink satellites. https://t.co/MA2UDjrbBQ

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Published today, the new UK strategy on preparedness for severe space weather, a plan to advance understanding and resilience, and to be ready to respond. https://t.co/FF4q45Da9s

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

@DoomsdayDebunks @sangeetha_a_j It's certainly the case that electric fields of 10 to 20 V/km have been estimated from effects during very intense storms. But these will be localised over spatial scales of 100s of km. I don't see any process to sustain such large fields across a wide ocean.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

Unfortunately this solar superstorms paper is based on a complete misunderstanding of how electromagnetic induction works. That induction creates a voltage source, then Ohm's Law determines currents.

[Peter T Gallagher @petertgallagher]

“Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse” … one for Monday morning. Might be of interest @J_MLeigh

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

@DoomsdayDebunks Yes, that's the explanation. As best I can see the idea of currents ~100 A comes from reports of the currents seen in electricity transmission lines, which do have such low resistances. But those lines can carry 1000s of amps safely.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

@DoomsdayDebunks 8/ I don't have details but expect that the power systems on undersea cables can handle induced voltages of several kV and GIC of 100s of mA. The 1961 paper I cite above outlines how this was mitigated even 60 years ago.

[Mike Hapgood @space_weather]

@DoomsdayDebunks 7/ Given typical electrical characteristics of the circuits in these cables (e.g. the 0.8 Ohms per km cited in the Sigcomm21 paper), this suggests the extra current (GIC) will be a few hundred milliamps.