Researchers believe they have developed an effective line of defense against geomagnetic storms that would protect radio communications, GPS systems, electrical grids and satellites from disruption. It's not quite a vaccination against storms, but it provides what the scientists are calling a bold line of defense. The system, known as StormWall, has emerged from research and computer simulations by a Boston University team led by associate engineering professor Brian Walsh.
Using computer modeling, the researchers said they have found a way to fortify earth's natural magnetic defenses against geomagnetic storms by deploying a half-dozen spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. The six spacecraft would be used to release sodium, calcium, lithium, barium and other materials into space for ionization by the sun, creating an artificial cloud of electrically charged plasma. Writing in the journal Space Weather, the team said that process would slow the storm's rate of penetration into our planet's magnetic shield, reducing its power by more than 50 percent.
StormWall, of course, resides only in theory at the moment but the researchers believe it shows promise globally. They said the risk of contamination from the released chemicals would be insignificant because solar wind would disperse the material within several hours, preventing any entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
