COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

TITLE: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF SPACE WEATHER ON EARTH’S

ENVIRONMENT

A SENIOR PROJECT SUBMITTED TO MIZAN-TEPI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF

NATURAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS FOR
THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIRMENT FOR BACHELERS OF
SCIENCE DEGREE IN PHYSICS

BY: DEMEKECH DEMISSE GIBO ID NO: NCS/256/09

ADVISOR: GETACHEW M. (MSc.)

MAY, 2024

TEPI, ETHIOPIA
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the almighty God for giving me the opportunity to live and share my
knowledge to other people and for the blessings that I received each day. To my instructors from
the College of Natural and Computational science, Department of Physics who molded us in
technical knowledge and discipline since my initial from until what I become today. Especially to
my respective advisors Mr. Getachew M. who was support as from the beginning of the project
until I finish. Thanks to my respective families, friends and relatives, who are my inspirations.
Thank you all.

i
Declaration
We hereby declare that the work which is being presented in this project entitled “Understanding
The Impacts Of Space Weather On Earth’s Environment” is original work of our own and all
the resources materials used for this project have been duly acknowledged.

Student’s Name Signature Date

1. Demekech Demisse ---------------- ---------------

ii
 Approval page

Student’s Name Signature Date

Demekech Demisse ---------------- ---------------

Advisor Signature Date

Getachew M. (MSc.) ----------------- ---------------

Chair Person Signature Date

------------------------- --------------- ---------------

Examiner

------------------------- --------------- ---------------

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List of Figure

Figure 1: Solar Flares …………………………………………………………………….……….6

Figure 2: Coronal Mass Ejections…………………………………………………………...…….7
Figure 3: Solar Winds………………………………………………………………………….….8
Figure 4. Impacts of the space weather on the earth…………………..………………………….9
Figure 5: Geomagnetic Storm……………………………………………………………………11
Figure 6: Space weather monitoring and forecasting……………………………………...…….13
Figure 7: Satellite Monitoring……………………………………………………………….…...14
Figure 8: Radiation Hardened Electronics………………………………………………….……16

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ACRONYM AND ABBREVIATIONS

CMEs Coronal Mass Ejections

HF High Frequency
GPS Global Positioning Satellite
SEP Solar Energetic Particles
SWEPRS South Western Ethiopia Peoples Regional States
WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................ i
Declaration ......................................................................................................................................... ii
List of Figure..................................................................................................................................... iv
ACRONYM AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................ v
CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................ 3
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Background of the Study ...................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Motivation of the study.................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Research Questions............................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Objective of the Study .......................................................................................................... 4
1.5 Significance of the Study...................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Limitation of the study ........................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................... 6
2. LITRETURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Space Weather .......................................................................................................................... 6
2.2 Components of Space Weather ................................................................................................ 6
2.2.1 Solar Flares ........................................................................................................................ 6
2.2.2 Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) ....................................................................................... 7
2.2.3 Solar Wind ......................................................................................................................... 8
2.3 Space weather impacts on Earth............................................................................................... 9
2.3.1 Geomagnetic Storm ......................................................................................................... 10
2.3.2 Infrastructure impact........................................................................................................ 11
2.3.3 Satellite Damage .............................................................................................................. 12
2.3.4 Airline Operation ............................................................................................................. 12
2.3.5 Power System Failures .................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................................................... 13
3 The ways to protect our environment from space weather impact ............................................... 13
3.1 Space weather monitoring and forecasting ............................................................................ 13

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 3.1.1 Monitoring ....................................................................................................................... 13
3.1.2 Forecasting....................................................................................................................... 13
3.2 Satellite Monitoring................................................................................................................ 13
3.3 Space weather alerts ............................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Operational Strategies for Space Weather Support ................................................................ 14
3.5 Engineering and Design improvement ................................................................................... 15
3.5.1 Radiation Hardened Electronics ...................................................................................... 15
3.5.2 Load shedding.................................................................................................................. 16
3.5.3 Public Awareness ............................................................................................................ 16
CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................................ 17
4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................... 17
4.1 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 17
4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 18
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................ 18

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 CHAPTER ONE
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The Earth is constantly subjected to electromagnetic and high energy particle radiation from both
galactic sources and the Sun. Most of the variability is of solar origin and is collectively known as
space weather. Like terrestrial weather, minor events are more common than major events.
Generally, the day-to-day variation in space weather has a negligible impact on technology and
humans but on average several times in each solar cycle of 11 years’ space weather can have
operational impact. According to the US National Space Weather Program, the term Space Weather
refers to “the conditions of the sun and in the solar wind magnetosphere, ionosphere and
thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based
technological systems and can endanger human life or health” Short term variations in space weather
originate on the Sun.

The Sun’s visible output is fairly constant but the total energy output changes over time due to
variations in non-visible electromagnetic radiation, variations in the flow of magnetized plasma and
eruptions of high energy particles. Space weather exhibits a climatology which varies over
timescales ranging from days (i.e. diurnal variations resulting from the rotation of the Earth) to the
11-year solar cycle and longer. Superimposed on this climatology are weather-like variations; on
some days’ space weather is more severe than on others. Minor solar storms are relatively common
events; in contrast, extremely large events (super storms) occur very occasionally – perhaps once
every century or two[1].

Space weather refers to the environmental conditions in Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere and
thermosphere due to the Sun and the solar wind that can influence the functioning and reliability of
space borne and ground-based systems and services or endangers property or human health. Space
weather is the physical and phenomenological state of natural space environments. The associated
discipline aims, through observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling, at understanding and
predicting the state of the sun, the interplanetary and planetary environments, and the solar and non-

3
solar driven perturbations that affect them; and also at forecasting and now casting the possible
impacts on biological and technological systems[2].

Space Weather describes the conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems.
Space Weather is a consequence of the behavior of the Sun, the nature of Earth’s magnetic field and
atmosphere, and our location in the solar system. The active elements of space weather are particles,
electromagnetic energy, and magnetic field, rather than the more commonly known weather
contributors of water, temperature, and air. Hurricanes and tsunamis are dangerous, and forecasting
their arrival is a vital part of dealing with severe weather. Similarly, the Space Weather Prediction
Center (SWPC) forecasts space weather to assist users in avoiding or mitigating severe space
weather. These are storms that originate from the Sun and occur in space near Earth or in the Earth’s
atmosphere. Most of the disruptions caused by space weather storms affect technology, and
susceptible technology is quickly growing in use. Satellites, for example, once rare and only
government-owned, are now numerous and carry weather information, military surveillance, TV and
other communications signals, credit card and pager transmissions, navigation data, and cell phone
conversations. With the rising sophistication of our technologies, and the number of people that use
technology, vulnerability to space weather events has increased dramatically[3].

1.2 Motivation of the study

This senior project title is very use full for the coming researcher and used to understand about the
weather condition of the country and also about the weather condition of the world. My motivation
is at this the weather condition of the country and the world is so under difficult condition. The
impact of weather condition on the earth’s surface and the environment must be controlled.

1.3 Research Questions

Hence this project was conducted to give answers to the following questions
1. What is the definition of space weather?
2. What are the impacts of space weather on Earth?
3. What are the impacts of space weather on Aviation?

1.4 Objective of the Study

1.4.1 General Objective

 The general objective of the study is to review the impacts of space weather on Earth’s
Environment.

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1.4.2 Specific Objectives
 To investigate the impacts of space weather on Earth environment.
 To assess the current stage of knowledge regarding space weather impacts on Earth
environment.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The following points could be the significance of the study

The significance of this study is to increased awareness (understand) of the impacts of space weather
on Earth environment. Understanding the impacts of space weather on Earth helps to know about
the space weather in detail; and significantly improving the impacts of the space weather. Moreover,
this project can be used as preliminary base for future research works.

1.4 Scope of the study

Due to the shortage of time the scope of this project is limited to review impacts of space weather
on Earth.

1.5 Limitation of the study

The following are some of the limitation during the work of the study. Some of these are;

Lack of previous research studies on the topic.

Limited access to data.
Time constraints.
You will not be able to save everyone.
There is never enough time.

There will always be things about your work and the people you work with the cause a strong
emotional reaction.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. LITRETURE REVIEW
2.1 Space Weather
Space weather refers to the environmental conditions in space, particularly the effects of solar
activity on the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere [1]. This phenomenon
encompasses a range of solar occurrences, such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and high-
speed solar wind streams, which can disrupt satellite operations, communication systems, and power
grids on Earth. Understanding space weather is crucial for mitigating its impacts on technology and
infrastructure, as well as for ensuring the safety of astronauts and space missions. As our reliance on
technology increases, the study of space weather has become increasingly important in both
scientific research and practical applications [4].

2.2 Components of Space Weather

2.2.1 Solar Flares
A Solar flare is a sudden brightening of the Sun’s surface, where enormous amounts of energy are
released. Solar flares occur in active regions around sunspots [18]. Flares can occur several times a
day when the Sun is active, or only a few times a month when the Sun is less active. Most Solar
flares are smaller than the one in your flip book. One of the largest recorded Solar flares was
observed in 1859, which caused compass needles to point in the wrong direction and the northern
lights could be seen near the equator [5].

Figure 1: Solar Flares [5]

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2.2.2 Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
A coronal mass ejection (CME) can be defined as a concentrated material in the corona moving
away from the Sun, but distinct from the solar wind. In corona graphic images, a CME can be
recognized as bright features moving to progressively larger heliocentric distances [17]. The
movement is such that the lower part of the feature is always connected to the Sun, i.e., the CME is
anchored to the Sun and it expands into the interplanetary space. The outward motion implies a finite
speed of the CMEs and the motion from rest implies acceleration. The CME occupies a portion of
the coronal images indicating a finite angular extent and hence defines a finite quantity of matter
expelled from the Sun. CMEs are ejected into the ambient medium, which expands as the solar wind.
The CMEs and the solar wind are supposed to exchange momentum [6]. If a CME moves faster than
the characteristic speed of the ambient medium, it can drive a shock which have additional
consequences. The CME phenomenon was discovered only in 1971 (Tousey, 1973), but has become
the most important form of solar activity being studied by many research groups because it is the
most energetic phenomena on the Sun with a wide-ranging influence throughout the heliosphere
[16]. Great advances have been made in understanding CMEs after the advent of the coronagraphs
on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). In addition, space missions such as Wind,
Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), and Ulysses have provided complementary information on
the interplanetary manifestation of CMEs. Finally, the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory
(STEREO) provided some crucial confirmation on the 3D nature of CMEs [7].

Figure 2: Coronal Mass Ejections [7]

7
2.2.3 Solar Wind
Space between the Sun and its planets is not empty as had been generally thought until the 1950s. It
is filled by tenuous magnetized plasma, which is a mixture of ions and electrons flowing away from
the Sun: the solar wind. In fact, the Sun’s outer atmosphere is so hot that not even the Sun’s
enormous gravity can prevent it from continually evaporating. The escaping plasma carries the solar
magnetic field along, out to the border of the heliosphere where its dominance finally ends. The solar
wind (and the IMF carried with it) proves to be one key link between the solar atmosphere and the
Earth system. Although the energy transferred by the solar wind is minuscule compared to both
sunlight and those energies involved in Earth’s atmosphere, the solar wind is capable of pin-pricking
the Earth system which eventually may react in a highly nonlinear way. There are indications of
effects reaching down as far as the troposphere, and our increasingly sophisticated high-tech
civilization can indeed notice them and does, at times, even suffer from them. That is why the role
of the Sun and the solar wind as the drivers of space weather have gained particular attention in the
recent past [21].

The release of magnetic energy is also thought to be the mechanism that superheats the corona to
around one million Kelvins, compared to 6000 K at the solar surface. Such high temperatures make
the corona unstable against the gravitational pull of the Sun, allowing coronal material to escape the
Sun to form the solar wind. In the equatorial regions of the Sun, the magnetic field structures usually
act to slow this flow, which creates two main types of solar wind.

Figure 3: Solar Winds [21]

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2.3 Space weather impacts on Earth
The Earth’s ionosphere is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere, extending from about 60 km to
1000 km altitude imbedded in the neutral atmosphere. Ionospheric ionization is produced and further
stratified through solar radiation, with the maximum concentration of the ionization to occur in the
ionospheric F region [14]. As the inner edge of the magnetosphere with clear links to the neutral
atmosphere, the ionosphere plays a critical role in solar-terrestrial relationships, merging the
influence from both above and below. In this respect, the transient changes imposed by space
weather events in the near-Earth space environment lie among most challenging topics for both
scientific and operational applications [8]. During disturbed space weather conditions, the highly
variable solar wind energy input in the magnetosphere significantly impacts the upper atmosphere’s
state through the interaction of the ionospheric plasma with atmospheric neutrals [13]. Most dramatic
changes follow the occurrence of geomagnetic storms, during which, a variety of photo-chemical
and chemical reactions, as well as dynamical and electro dynamical processes that are activated in
the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system, drive the exchange and transportation of mass,
momentum, and energy between the system’s elements, and consequently, substantially alter the
ionospheric structure[9]. A key element of the ionospheric response to geomagnetic storm events
comes in the form of disturbances in the peak electron density (NmF2) and column density (i.e., the
total electron content—TEC): large-scale increases and decreases in the two parameters are observed
globally to formulate the so-called positive and negative ionospheric storms, respectively[10].

Figure 4: Impacts of the space weather on the earth [15]

9
2.3.1 Geomagnetic Storm
Geomagnetic storms, in which the global geomagnetic field intensity decreases on the order of tens
to hundreds nT, are phenomena that occur on the largest scale in the solar wind-magnetosphere-
ionosphere coupled system. Geomagnetic storms develop when solar wind-magnetosphere
couplings are intensified by solar wind disturbances (coronal holes and CME phenomena) that
accompany southward IMF. Perturbations in the magnetic field are caused by geomagnetic storms
and can be explained by the westward electric current along the geomagnetic equator (ring current).
Such perturbations on the scale of 1015- 1016 J occur when the magnetosphere responds to the
injections of energy during geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms are generally believed to
develop in association with an increase in magnetospheric convection. However, in contrast to
magnetospheric convection development (which is saturated with strong solar wind electric fields),
analysis of the correlation of solar wind parameters to magnetospheric convection and to
geomagnetic storms has revealed that geomagnetic storm growth is not saturated with such electric
fields. This indicates that geomagnetic field growth and magnetospheric convection growth may not
correlate perfectly [22]

Both the origin and the occurrence of the ionospheric storms have been subject to many studies
during recent decades [11]. The community’s interest is justified by the significant impact of
ionospheric storm effects on the reliable performance of technological systems, while it is further
fed by the scientific challenges that are met in their investigation along the complex chain of solar-
terrestrial relations. Negative ionospheric storm effects (i.e., NmF2 and TEC decrease well below
their normal levels) cause serious problems in ground-based HF radio communications, while on the
other hand, positive ionospheric storm effects (i.e., NmF2 and TEC increase well above their normal
levels) can cause serious problems such as time delay, range error, and scintillations in satellite
communication and navigation [12]. On the other hand, a set of dependencies (e.g., seasonal, local
time, latitudinal, altitudinal) compile a rather complicated scene for the appearance of ionospheric
storm effects to keep the relevant topic a vivid research field [15].

10
 Figure 5: Geomagnetic Storm [15]

2.3.2 Infrastructure impact

Gas pipelines, transmission lines, overhead wires, transformers, GNSS navigation, and
telecommunication systems are part of critical infrastructure. Industry, transportation, service
operations, farming, and everyday life highly depend on this infrastructure. However, these systems
are very sensitive to solar activity. Therefore, all activities above are vulnerable and defenseless
against the catastrophic changes in Earth's cosmic environment. The Solar System is dominated by
the influence of our star. A small fraction of the energy produced in the core of our star turns into a
magnetic field and emits the constant high-velocity flow, the solar wind. Solar magnetic activity
produces radiation and ejects matter from the upper atmosphere of our star. The magnetic field of
the solar wind interacts with the planetary magnetic fields and atmospheres. These phenomena,
called Space Weather have a serious influence on the radiation environment of Earth where
telecommunication, Global Navigation Satellite System, meteorological, and other purpose satellites
are located. The conductivity and transparency of the higher partly ionized atmospheric layer, the
ionosphere also depends on solar radiation and activity. This fact makes the navigation and
communication systems dependent on solar activity. Finally, the solar magnetic activity creates
magnetic variations in the terrestrial magnetic field and induces currents in gas pipelines,
transmission lines, overhead wires, and transformers. In this short briefing, we introduce the solar
activity phenomena and their influence on our planet's cosmic neighborhood and provide a detailed
description of the Space Weather effects on critical infrastructure. We describe the Hungarian

11
national and global space weather forecast centers and capabilities. Finally, we share some
guidelines on how to prepare for extreme space weather events [23].

2.3.3 Satellite Damage

Space weather like radiation storms and ionospheric disturbances can also disrupt satellites' ability to operate
and communicate. Satellite Internet works by making use of radio waves. Like TV and radio broadcasts, the
energy required to transmit data communications can be absorbed by water molecules in the air.

2.3.4 Airline Operation

Space weather effects can stem from eruptions as well as from variations in the flow of charged particles,
photons and the magnetic field. Aircraft dispatchers are trained to assist in planning flight paths that are clear
of thunderstorm weather. They take into account wind direction and speed [27]

Recent press coverage regarding exposure to increased levels of radiation while flying at civil aircraft altitudes
due to cosmic radiation, has raised the profile of an area of space science, known as “Space Weather”, that
was previously more likely to be linked only with NASA astronauts and the Space Shuttle. However, the fact
that the Earth is immersed in an extremely tenuous bath of high-energy charged particles called cosmic rays
(both galactic and solar in origin) is but just one of many physical processes going on in near-Earth space that
can have a direct impact on airline operations. Most of the time space weather is of little concern in our
everyday lives. However, when the space environment is disturbed by the variable outputs of the Sun,
technologies that we depend on both in orbit and on the ground can be affected [26].

2.3.5 Power System Failures

Space weather affects power systems because geomagnetic field variations induce electric currents into the
power transmission lines. Space weather affects power systems because geomagnetic field variations induce
electric currents into the power transmission lines. These GIC flow to and from ground through the windings
of power transformers and cause partial saturation of the transformer core [26].

12
 CHAPTER THREE

3 THE WAYS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT FROM SPACE

WEATHER IMPACT
3.1 Space weather monitoring and forecasting
3.1.1 Monitoring
Space weather is routinely monitored by many ground and space based instruments, operating in the
optical and radio bands and via in-situ measurements of the local plasma. This report cannot hope
to do justice to these instruments, but it worth noting the importance of the Advanced Composition
Explorer (ACE) satellite[20].

3.1.2 Forecasting
Predicting the time of a solar eruption is not currently possible, though there are services that forecast
the probabilities of classes of flares and SEPs [20].

Figure 6: Space weather monitoring and forecasting [20]

3.2 Satellite Monitoring

These current satellites are called Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES).
Because they stay above a fixed spot on the surface. Satellites that detect and observe different
characteristics and features of the Earth's atmosphere, land surface, and ocean are referred to as
environmental satellites. A geostationary orbit allows satellites to continually monitor a particular
region uninterrupted. Satellites in a low earth orbit can directly monitor the climate from their

13
position within or just above the atmosphere, and can provide near-global coverage as they scan over
different swathes of ground with each orbit [24].

Figure 7: Satellite Monitoring [24]

3.3 Space weather alerts

Without the magnetosphere, Earth's layered atmosphere would deteriorate due to the constant
bombardment of solar wind. And without our uniquely layered atmosphere, which protects us from
harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and traps heat, life on Earth wouldn't be possible. These
geomagnetic field measurements can provide warnings of sudden magnetic storms to satellite
operators and power utilities. The composition and thickness of a material affects its ability to shield
radiation. Problems with shields arise when space radiation particles interact with the atoms of the
shield itself [25].

3.4 Operational Strategies for Space Weather Support

Future exploration missions require adequate science-based understanding, appropriate

observations, and physics-based models to make it possible to develop operationally robust tools
that provide timely forecasts of the space environment. These must contribute to an overall risk

14
mitigation architecture designed to ensure the safety of astronauts throughout all phases of
exploration missions. The following elements need to be included: Adequate shelter, Effective
radiation monitoring, Reliable communications, and integrated mission planning and operations
concepts [22].

This chapter provides an overview of how radiation monitoring and warning are carried out today
to support the space shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS), discusses the general
components of a space weather architecture, describes architectures specific to lunar and Mars
missions, and discusses the need to transition research to operational support more effectively [23].

The Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG) at the NASA Johnson Space Center is responsible for
ensuring that the radiation exposure received by astronauts remains below established safety limits.
This responsibility includes making preflight and extravehicular activity (EVA) crew exposure
projections and carrying out real-time radiation environment monitoring during missions. Factors
affecting crew radiation exposures in low Earth orbit (LEO) include the following: The structure and
materials of the spacecraft, Mission altitude(s) and inclination [24]

3.5 Engineering and Design improvement

3.5.1 Radiation Hardened Electronics
Custom Rad hard electronic designers rely on heterogenous solutions to enable failure proof trusted
computing. To understand better the radiation hardening techniques are classified as physical and
Logical to avoid data corruption. [21] Electronic devices can be physically radiation hardened by
de-sign (RHBD) through component configuration, layout and solutions for redundancy or by
process (RHBP) using transistor bodies that are less sensitive to degrading effects. These can be
done by insulating the substrate, using bipolar integrated circuits, radiation tolerant – SRAM,
capacitor-based DRAM, using larger process nodes, selecting a substrate with wide gap and
shielding using depleted boron. Logical radiation hardening techniques adapts techniques like error
correcting memories, using redundant elements, hardened latches, using a watch dog timer etc [22].

15
 Figure 8: Radiation Hardened Electronics [22]

3.5.2 Load shedding

Load shedding is an energy policy used to manage limited capacity. There are several reasons why
these planned power outages occur such as technical losses, for example, transmission line
overloading or tripping (Guo et al., 2021; Salman et al., 2023), poor maintenance, human error,
equipment failure, cyber-attacks or natural disasters/extreme weather. Load shedding (load
shedding) is a way to distribute demand for electrical power across multiple power sources. Load
shedding is used to relieve stress on a primary energy source when demand for electricity is greater
than the primary power source can supply. The goal of load shedding is to prevent a power grid or
power source from overloading. As a type of load management, load shedding works by rotating
power outages or reducing power consumption from primary sources until demand decreases and
more capacity becomes available [25].

3.5.3 Public Awareness

As society increasingly relies on space-based infrastructure for communication and national security,
there is a growing need to improve public awareness of the risks space weather poses. The National
Space Weather Program (NSWP) should consider this need as it develops new strategic plans. Space
weather is a concrete and recurring threat to critical infrastructures, be they based in space or on the
ground; therefore, concerted action is required to achieve adequate levels of global preparedness.
Contrary to the notion that space weather primarily affects space-based infrastructures and services,
possible impacts on the ground are of equal importance, whereas space-based assets seem reasonably
resilient to space-weather impact. Several participants of the Space-Weather Awareness Dialogue

16
expressed the hope that the EC would take the lead in facilitating a more permanent discussion
process on the space-weather threat that would include all concerned stakeholders. In addition, the
EC was called upon to coordinate possibly fragmented activities that would eventually lead to
increased preparedness including efficient data exchange, model improvements and validation,
impact-scenario development, and guidance for accident prevention and mitigation. The EC is well
positioned to take on this challenge due to the availability of its own independent science service,
the JRC, and its natural interest and duty in assessing the impact of hazards, including space weather,
on European Union policies, such as e.g. on the European Critical Infrastructure Directive which is
currently under review[24].

CHAPTER FOUR

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

4.1 CONCLUSION
The term “space weather” generally refers to conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind,
magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of
space borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. Historic
space weather events such as the March 1989 and October 2003 solar storms caused global
disruptions to critical space- and ground-based infrastructures with important economic losses
suggested that a super storm similar to the one occurred in 1859 could disable 80 satellites in 2012
and would result in losses in the range of many billion. Thus, accurate knowledge of the phenomena

17
and forecasting tools are essential to prevent or mitigate as much as possible such effects. That is
why many efforts have been carried out to model and predict the effects of geomagnetic storms on
the Earth's environment [20].

Space weather is closely related to solar-terrestrial physics, which has been the aim of study at the
centenary institute of Ebre Observatory (EBR). More recently, we have investigated the behavior of
the electron density peak height disturbances (∆hmF2) caused during intense geomagnetic storms,
and developed an empirical model able to predict such height disturbances at mid-latitudes.

4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
From the review and conclusion made so far the following recommendation are suggested hoping
that it would be solution and of some help to anyone who is interested to work on impacts of space
weather on Earths [19]. In this project we have studied the impacts of space weather on Earth. But
due to shortage of time, optical properties, magnetic properties, and performance in applications are
not performed. So, for the further study, we recommend that the impacts of space weather on earth
can be possible to study it if there is enough time.

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