Researchers uncover additional evidence for massive solar storms Date: March 11, 2019 Source: Lund University Summary: Solar storms can be far more powerful than previously thought. A new study has found evidence for the third known case of a massive solar storm in historical times. The researchers believe that society might not be sufficiently prepared if a similar event were to happen now.
Major Solar Flare: A large sunspot was the source of a powerful solar flare (an X 9.3) and a coronal mass ejection (Sept. 6, 2017). The flare was the largest solar flare of the last decade. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA Our planet is constantly being bombarded by cosmic particles. However, at times the stream of particles is particularly strong when a solar storm sweeps past. Solar storms are made up of high-energy particles unleashed from the sun by explosions on the star's surface. For the past 70 years, researchers have studied these solar storms by direct instrumental observations, which has led to an understanding of how they can pose a risk to the electrical grid, various communication systems, satellites and air traffic. Two examples of severe solar storms in modern times that caused extensive power cuts took place in Quebec, Canada (1989) and Malmö, Sweden (2003). Now, an increasing amount of research indicates that solar storms can be even more powerful than measurements have shown so far via direct observations. The researchers behind the new, international study led by researchers from Lund University have used drilled samples of ice, or ice cores, to find clues about previous solar storms. The cores come from Greenland and contain ice formed over the past about 100,000 years. The material contains evidence of a very powerful solar storm that occurred in 660 BCE. "If that solar storm had occurred today, it could have had severe effects on our high-tech society," says Raimund Muscheler, professor of geology at Lund University. The new study means that a third known case of a massive solar storm dating back in time has been discovered via indirect observations in nature's own archive. Raimund Muscheler also took part in research that confirmed the existence of two other massive solar storms, using both ice cores and the annual growth rings of old trees. These storms took place in 775 and 994 CE. Raimund Muscheler points out that, even though these massive solar storms are rare, the new discovery shows that they are a naturally recurring effect of solar activity. "That's why we must increase society's protection again solar storms," he says. Today's risk assessment is largely based on direct observations made over the past 70 years, but Raimund Muscheler suggests that there is a need for a reassessment in view of the three massive solar storms that have now been discovered. He argues that there is a need for greater awareness of the possibility of very strong solar storms and the vulnerability of our society. "Our research suggests that the risks are currently underestimated. We need to be better prepared," concludes Raimund Muscheler. Story Source: Materials provided by Lund University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Knight Sha
Major tectonic collisions near the equator have caused three ice ages in the last 540 million years Date: March 14, 2019 Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Over the last 540 million years, the Earth has weathered three major ice ages -- periods during which global temperatures plummeted, producing extensive ice sheets and glaciers that have stretched beyond the polar caps. Now scientists at MIT, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of California at Berkeley have identified the likely trigger for these ice ages. In a study published in Science, the team reports that each of the last three major ice ages were preceded by tropical "arc-continent collisions" -- tectonic pileups that occurred near the Earth's equator, in which oceanic plates rode up over continental plates, exposing tens of thousands of kilometers of oceanic rock to a tropical environment. The scientists say that the heat and humidity of the tropics likely triggered a chemical reaction between the rocks and the atmosphere. Specifically, the rocks' calcium and magnesium reacted with atmospheric carbon dioxide, pulling the gas out of the atmosphere and permanently sequestering it in the form of carbonates such as limestone. Over time, the researchers say, this weathering process, occurring over millions of square kilometers, could pull enough carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to cool temperatures globally and ultimately set off an ice age. "We think that arc-continent collisions at low latitudes are the trigger for global cooling," says Oliver Jagoutz, an associate professor in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. "This could occur over 1-5 million square kilometers, which sounds like a lot. But in reality, it's a very thin strip of Earth, sitting in the right location, that can change the global climate." Jagoutz' co-authors are Francis Macdonald and Lorraine Lisiecki of UC Santa Barbara, and Nicholas Swanson-Hysell and Yuem Park of UC Berkeley. A tropical trigger When an oceanic plate pushes up against a continental plate, the collision typically creates a mountain range of newly exposed rock. The fault zone along which the oceanic and continental plates collide is called a "suture." Today, certain mountain ranges such as the Himalayas contain sutures that have migrated from their original collision points, as continents have shifted over millenia. In 2016, Jagoutz and his colleagues retraced the movements of two sutures that today make up the Himalayas. They found that both sutures stemmed from the same tectonic migration. Eighty million years ago, as the supercontinent known as Gondwana moved north, part of the landmass was crushed against Eurasia, exposing a long line of oceanic rock and creating the first suture; 50 million years ago, another collision between the supercontinents created a second suture. The team found that both collisions occurred in tropical zones near the equator, and both preceded global atmospheric cooling events by several million years -- which is nearly instantaneous on a geologic timescale. After looking into the rates at which exposed oceanic rock, also known as ophiolites, could react with carbon dioxide in the tropics, the researchers concluded that, given their location and magnitude, both sutures could have indeed sequestered enough carbon dioxide to cool the atmosphere and trigger both ice ages. Interestingly, they found that this process was likely responsible for ending both ice ages as well. Over millions of years, the oceanic rock that was available to react with the atmosphere eventually eroded away, replaced with new rock that took up far less carbon dioxide. "We showed that this process can start and end glaciation," Jagoutz says. "Then we wondered, how often does that work? If our hypothesis is correct, we should find that for every time there's a cooling event, there are a lot of sutures in the tropics." Exposing Earth's sutures The researchers looked to see whether ice ages even further back in Earth's history were associated with similar arc-continent collisions in the tropics. They performed an extensive literature search to compile the locations of all the major suture zones on Earth today, and then used a computer simulation of plate tectonics to reconstruct the movement of these suture zones, and the Earth's continental and oceanic plates, back through time. In this way, they were able to pinpoint approximately where and when each suture originally formed, and how long each suture stretched. They identified three periods over the last 540 million years in which major sutures, of about 10,000 kilometers in length, were formed in the tropics. Each of these periods coincided with each of three major, well-known ice ages, in the Late Ordovician (455 to 440 million years ago), the Permo-Carboniferous (335 to 280 million years ago), and the Cenozoic (35 million years ago to present day). Importantly, they found there were no ice ages or glaciation events during periods when major suture zones formed outside of the tropics. "We found that every time there was a peak in the suture zone in the tropics, there was a glaciation event," Jagoutz says. "So every time you get, say, 10,000 kilometers of sutures in the tropics, you get an ice age." He notes that a major suture zone, spanning about 10,000 kilometers, is still active today in Indonesia, and is possibly responsible for the Earth's current glacial period and the appearance of extensive ice sheets at the poles. This tropical zone includes some of the largest ophiolite bodies in the world and is currently one of the most efficient regions on Earth for absorbing and sequestering carbon dioxide. As global temperatures are climbing as a result of human-derived carbon dioxide, some scientists have proposed grinding up vast quantities of ophiolites and spreading the minerals throughout the equatorial belt, in an effort to speed up this natural cooling process. But Jagoutz says the act of grinding up and transporting these materials could produce additional, unintended carbon emissions. And it's unclear whether such measures could make any significant impact within our lifetimes. "It's a challenge to make this process work on human timescales," Jagoutz says. "The Earth does this in a slow, geological process that has nothing to do with what we do to the Earth today. And it will neither harm us, nor save us." Story Source: Materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Original written by Jennifer Chu. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Thanx : Jennifer Chu Knight Jonny
Methane leaks at a fracking site near Blackpool have raised concerns about the capacity of the industry to produce gas without harming the environment. Cuadrilla reported four spikes in methane above levels set by authorities since it began its controversial operation in October. The largest event saw concentrations of the climate-warming gas rise to around 15 times higher than normal background levels. Workers attempted to burn the gas as they released it from the well, but it failed to catch light and was released into the air. Venting unburned methane at the site is banned by the Environment Agency “except where necessary for safety reasons”. Besides providing a source of fuel, methane is a potent greenhouse gas with the power to warm the planet up to 84 times more than CO2. Controlling leaks from fracking sites is therefore vital if the industry wants to achieve its stated goal of providing a cleaner alternative to coal. Three of the spikes recorded by Cuadrilla took place in January, with the highest one pushing methane levels to 30.5ppm. Fear of fracking ‘soars’ as industry lobbies for limits to be lifted The fossil fuel company said measurements by the British Geological Survey before fracking commenced had recorded far higher methane levels of up to 70ppm at the site. But Dr Grant Allen, who conducted the BGS analysis, said it was not fair to present this as any kind of baseline. “This is not normal. Background methane concentration is around 2 ppm,” he said, noting that “very rare” peak levels before fracking began at the site were generally around 7 ppm. In their report, BGS attributed the earlier spike to emissions from a nearby dairy farm. Any reading above 7.1ppm recorded by Cuadrilla must be reported to the Environment Agency. Vivienne Westwood joins anti-fracking protest outside Courts of Justice While the leaks from the Preston New Road site are not enough to hamper the UK’s efforts to tackle climate change, Dr Allen said they must be taken seriously if the industry wants to expand across the country. “Methane emissions such as this are very much a concern regarding the industry’s carbon footprint and contribution to greenhouse gas budgets,” he said. “Such concerns exist because of the potential cumulative impact of a future scaled up industry in the UK and how that might affect the UK’s stated emissions targets.” Ban fracking or relax earthquake rules, Ratcliffe tells government
If shale gas – which contains methane – is to be cleaner than coal and serve as a “bridge fuel” to green energy promised by the government, the industry must ensure no more than 2 per cent of it is vented into the air. While it is too early to know if Britain’s fledgeling operations will stay below this limit, data from the US shows its expansive fracking industry is close, at around 1.6 per cent. Despite these worries, Cuadrilla’s environmental manager Nick Mace said they were “very proud” of their monitoring programme, which he said showed the company’s commitment to the environment. “The absolute level of methane emissions over the 12 month reporting period is reassuringly tiny,” he said, noting there were no health consequences from such short term emissions. Cuadrilla has endured a rocky few months at the Lancashire site, facing repeated disruptions due to earthquakes and bitter opposition from campaigners angry about its environmental impact. A spokesperson from Preston New Road Action Group said news of the recent spikes were a “major concern” to local residents. “Even after only a partial frack we are seeing impacts on the air we breathe. We should be reducing gases that contribute to climate change rather than increasing them,” they said. Industry leaders have claimed fracking will never take off in Britain unless earthquake limits are raised, but the government has so far resisted their calls.
WORLD Team Latestly Mar 06, 2019 Thousands of New Zealand school students are planning to skip school on March 15 for a strike on climate change. High-school and middle-school students in more than 30 countries will join the strike demanding politicians to treat the global climate change crisis as an emergency situation. 'School Strike 4 Climate' will ask authorities to implement Green New Deal championed by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The children's support has received the support of politicians too. Leo Eric Varadkar, Irish politician said, "I am inspired and enthused by the fact that young people, students and school pupils are taking a real interest in climate action, that they are going to protest and that they are putting it up to all of us in all parties, and to all adults, to do more when it comes to climate action." Climate Change To Worsen Your Health, Warn Doctors: Here’s How Global Warming Will Affect Human Lives. Last month, pupils from around the UK went "on strike" as part of a global campaign demanding action on climate change. Reportedly, protests took place in more than 60 towns and cities, with estimated participants of 15,000 pupils. They had carried placards which read 'There is no planet B'. Here Are 5 Biggest Threats to Our Oceans and Marine Life! It began after 15-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg skipped class to sit outside government buildings in last year, accusing her country of not following the Paris Climate Agreement. Since then protests by children have taken place in countries including Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Australia. Cities like London, Brighton, Oxford and Exeter have seen some of the biggest protests. On December 16, Greta attended a UN Climate summit in Poland in which held world leaders responsible for not acting on the current situation. 4 Truths That Make Us Wonder Whether The Earth Will Survive 50 Years From Now. Watch her speech at the UN here:
She repeated the same attack on politicians at World Economic Forums' annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Watch the video here:
In the US, Europe, and Australia, students are skipping school most Fridays to attend the protest requesting for a better future. This January 24 around 32,000 students took the streets demanding urgent change in Brussels. Talking about children's participation, a New Zealand Minister Phil Twyford said it was great to see young people getting involved in issues like climate change because "if there's one issue that's going to affect the next generation it's climate change". Thanx World Team Latesty Crusader Jenny , Nanook , Knight Mika & Knight Moto
