Space weather: Affecting technologies on earth and in space

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Abstract

Beginning with the era of development of electrical telegraph systems in the early nineteenth century, the space environment around Earth has influenced the design and operations of ever-increasing and sophisticated technical systems, both on the ground and now in space. Newfoundland had key roles in important first events in communications, including the landing of the first working telegraph cable in Heart's Content (1866), the first reception of trans-Atlantic wireless signals at Signal Hill in St. John's (1901), and the North American location of the first trans-Atlantic telecommunications cable in Clarenville (1956). All of the systems represented by these "firsts" suffered from effects of space weather. This paper reviews some of the historical effects of space weather on technologies from the telegraph to the present, describing several events that impacted communications and electrical power systems in Canada. History shows that as electrical technologies changed in nature and complexity over the decades, including their interconnectedness and interoperability, many important ones continue to be susceptible to space weather effects. The effects of space weather on contemporary technical systems are described. © 2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Identifier

84899505262 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Geophysical Monograph Series

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GM001372

First Page

11

Last Page

20

Volume

199

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