Scientists confirm that GPS services were impacted by a December 2006 solar eruption.
As a result from a solar eruption last December, Cornell University researchers confirmed that solar radio bursts can have a significant effect on global positioning systems (GPS). Solar flares have also been known to cause power outages and disrupt satellite functions.
Solar radio bursts begin with a solar flare, which usually occurs during a solar maximum, or the time when there's the most solar activity in the solar cycle. Solar flares produce radio waves that act as noise and disrupt and degrade GPS signals.
Forecasters from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed two solar flares on December 5 and 6, 2006, which occurred during a solar minimum when solar activity is supposed to be much calmer. However, these solar radio bursts were powerful enough to stop receivers from reading the GPS signal on the entire sunlit side of the Earth, and according to New Jersey Institute of Technology professor Dale Gary, "… produced as much as 10 times more radio noise than the previous record."
Cornell University professor, Paul Kinter said, "In December, we found the effect of GPS receivers were more profound and wide spread than we expected. Now we are concerned more severe consequences will occur during the next solar maximum."
NASA researchers are attempting to better understand solar radio burst to prevent future negative effects on GPS.
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