The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 2
- Publication:
- The Gazettei
- Location:
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Issue Date:
- Page:
- 2
Extracted Article Text (OCR)
THE GAZETTE montrealgazette.com TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012 ENVIRONMENT There's a solar storm a-brewin' Scientists warn of potentially crippling effects if Earth gets hit by the big one CHRIS WICKHAM REUTERS LONDON The delicate threads that hold modern life together are dramatically cut by an unexpected threat from outer space, with disastrous effects. It's the stuff of science fiction usually associated with tales of rogue asteroids on a collision course with Earth. But over the next two years, as the Sun reaches a peak in its 10-year activity cycle, scientists say there is a heightened risk that a solar storm could knock out the power grids, satellites and communications on which we all rely. "Governments are taking it very seriously," says Mike Hapgood, a space weather specialist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the U.K. "These things may be very rare but when they happen, the consequences can be catastrophic." Hapgood said there is a roughly 12 per cent chance of a major solar storm every decade, making them a onein-100-year event.
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