NASA scientists have developed a new computer program that combines data collected by satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) to be able to warn of the impact of events such as solar storms on Earth, according to a statement from space. can act as a system. agency.
The program uses artificial intelligence to analyze measurements indicating the solar wind, a continuous flow of material from the Sun, to predict an approaching solar storm anywhere on Earth 30 minutes in advance.
That time frame can provide affected areas with enough time to prepare for the effects of these storms and thus avoid impacts on the power grid and other types of infrastructure.
What is a solar storm?
Solar storms occur when material from the solar wind reaches Earth’s magnetic field. They are also called geomagnetic storms.
These events vary in severity. But they adversely affect the power grid, which can have disastrous secondary consequences.
For example, on March 13, 1989, a solar storm caused a nine-hour power outage in Quebec, Canada, affecting millions of people and forcing the closure of schools and businesses.
Advancement of technology (and increase of our day to day electrical equipment) increases the risk According to the statement of NASA.
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How will NASA’s new artificial intelligence program help stop the effects of solar storms?
The program has been developed by researchers from the Frontier Developments Lab, a group that includes NASA, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy.
The program detects disturbances or disturbances in the solar wind that could affect the electrical power on Earth. Artificial intelligence allows computers to be “trained” to identify these phenomena. in advance.
What is DAGGER, the artificial intelligence program developed by NASA?
The program is called DAGGER (Deep Learning Geomagnetic Disturbances) and it can accurately predict the effects that solar storms can have up to 30 minutes in advance.
The team that developed DAGGER has tested two solar storms that occurred in August 2011 and March 2015. In each case, the predictions turned out to be correct.
The DAGGER model computer code is open source, so it can be adopted by power grid operators, satellite controllers, telecommunications companies, and others to help them apply predictions to their specific needs.
“It is now possible to make rapid and accurate global predictions and decision-making in the event of a solar storm, reducing or avoiding destruction,” said Vishal Upendran, a researcher at the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. From an article on the Dagger model published in the journal Space Weather, India and who are lead authors.
Accurately predicting the effects of solar storms could help set up alarm systems for satellite monitoring stations around the world as well as power plants in different countries, similar to how tornado sirens work.
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