The South Atlantic Anomaly

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wrathex

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I came across this information and it has unsettled me a little bit.

Source: http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/rosat/gallery/misc_saad.html

saad.gif


The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA, the large red area in the image) is a dip in the Earth's magnetic field which allows cosmic rays, and charged particles to reach lower into the atmosphere. This interferes with communication with satellites, aircraft, and the Space Shuttle. While there are theories as to why this occurs, the geologic origin is not yet known.

The enhanced particle flux in the SAA also strongly affects X-ray detectors, which are in essence particle detectors. The ROSAT PSPC had to be turned off during passage through the SAA otherwise it would have suffered severe damage. While the ROSAT HRI could be left on during the passage, it could collect no useful data. The light blue and green bands at the top and bottom of the image are due to an enhanced particle flux above Earth's auroral zones (particle belts).

The data were collected by the South Atlantic Anomaly Detector (SAAD) aboard ROSAT. It consists of 10 cm² of Germanium and served as a particle background monitor. The SAAD was used to "safe" the PSPC if rates became too high.
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You can clearly see that the anomaly eclipses South Africa.

This made me think, can this anomaly effect our health, both physical and mental ? Can this anomoly eventually cause an increase in cancers and perhaps violent/abnormal behaviour ?

The article says that this weakening in the electro magnetic field causes cosmic rays & charged/particles to penetrate further into the atmosphere.

I understand that the atmosphere is not quite level with the ground where we live, but surely this anomaly will effect us over time ?

This anomaly is cause for concern, how do we know it won't effect weather, fauna and flora and our electronics, over a period of time ?

Quoted from Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_threat_from_cosmic_rays

Like other ionizing radiation, high-energy cosmic rays can damage DNA, increasing the risk of cancer, cataracts, neurological disorders, and non-cancer mortality risks.[6]

The Apollo astronauts reported seeing flashes in their eyeballs, which may have been galactic cosmic rays, and there is some speculation that they may have experienced a higher incidence of cancer. However, the duration of the longest Apollo flights was less than two weeks, limiting the maximum exposure. There were only 24 such astronauts, making statistical analysis of the effects nearly impossible.
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Any comments and new information or insights will be appreciated, thanks.
 
The atmosphere is level with the ground... Moving on, there are hundreds of sources of radiation in our modern lives. The article gives no value to the strength of the extra radiation being let through either. So getting all worked up with rather bleak theories is kinda pointless. And as you noticed, the anomoly is also over the Amazon rain forest, arguably home to the most diverse and plentiful life on the planet (ignoring the oceans). So I'd say it has little to no adverse affect on life.
 
We need more of that red stuff if Bafana's to do well in the future, Brazil and Argentina's literally bathed in it!

What i don't understand is, say if we did it, why the heck is it over the southern hemisphere? Just like the hole in the ozone, the southern hemisphere nations aren't the real polluters, the northern hemisphere is.

If we aren't the cause of it, sucks to be us. Mather nature's taking a dose of galactic antibiotics.

Btw, how long has this weakened magnetic field been here hovering over us?
 
Archer said:
The atmosphere is level with the ground... Moving on, there are hundreds of sources of radiation in our modern lives. The article gives no value to the strength of the extra radiation being let through either. So getting all worked up with rather bleak theories is kinda pointless. And as you noticed, the anomoly is also over the Amazon rain forest, arguably home to the most diverse and plentiful life on the planet (ignoring the oceans). So I'd say it has little to no adverse affect on life.
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Was thinking something along those lines as well, more energy gets to the biosphere, meaning the carrying capacity of the habitat should be larger than if there was no weakening in the magnetic field at all.
 
Solar Storm warning : bey-bey interwebz ?

Thanks, but I was thinking more long term, say over a period of several decades and longer and taking into account unusual solar activity.

Every few decades, the sun experiences a particularly large storm that can release as much energy as 1 billion hydrogen bombs. Officials from Europe and the U.S. say an event like that could leave millions on Earth without electricity, running water and phone service.

A massive solar storm could leave millions of people around the world without electricity, running water, or phone service, government officials say.

source:
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/27/solar-storms-could-be-earths-next-katrina/
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Indonesia's Institute of Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) predicted peak of solar activity with solar storms will occur between 2012 until 2015. This solar storm will not directly destroy civilization on earth, but it will affect high-tech systems such as satellite and radio communications.

Thus is revealed in the socialization effect of space weather to climate change on earth that was held at the Campus Lapan Udayana University, Denpasar, Bali, Wednesday (10/3). According to the sun researchers, Clara Yono Yatini Lapan, since once the sun has a cycle and not stationary. Sun explosions will make it to earth.

Besides, the sun also has a variety of activities such as magnetic fields, sunspots, flare, burst corona mass, until the energetic particles. At the peak of the cycle, solar activity will be so high that caused the storm.

Up to this point of time the solar storm can not be predicted accurately. However, this solar storm-related high-tech equipment the user community are asked to begin to anticipate the adverse effects of the sun storm to the planet Earth.

In addition to impacts of high technology systems, increased solar activity will also impact on climate change on earth. Impact of an extreme increase in solar activity on Earth also can cause drought.

source:
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5682776-beware-of-impact-of-solar-storm
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The next solar maximum and new cycle is due between 2010 and 2015 with most predictions for 2012.

references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronobiology
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/10mar_stormwarning/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_variation
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/21jan_severespaceweather/
http://www.physorg.com/news190451817.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/themis/news/themis_leaky_shield.html
 
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