A massive explosion on the surface of the sun on Aug. 9 sent a wave of radiation sweeping outward into space in a scene that will likely spell intermittent trouble for GPS approaches and satellite-based communications for the next decade or perhaps longer, according to scientists.
It was the largest solar flare since 2006 and heralded the coming of an active solar storm season, the National Business Aviation Association warned on its website.
Although the Aug. 9 flare wasn’t aimed at the Earth, Joe Kunches, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told the Los Angeles Times, “We are now seeing more eruptions this year and we will see even more the year after that. They are going to get bigger and they are going to get more frequent.”
The eruptions could cause temporary disruptions in signals from global positioning satellites, making GPS approaches sometimes unreliable, a story on the ****NBAA** website** stressed.
Kunches predicted the solar cycle just now beginning will likely be “in the moderate to strong level,” and will likely peak in 2013. Before the decade ends, NOAA predicts four “extreme” solar storms could disrupt GPS navigation and lead to power outages and communications disruptions.
NBAA**** warns that solar radio bursts can drown out GPS signals with so much background noise that Earth-based receivers have difficulty picking them up. Wide-Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) receivers are unable to fully lock onto GPS satellite signals. FAA officials pointed out, however, that only vertical WAAS guidance is lost during solar bursts, while lateral guidance is unaffected.
The FAA is studying the effects of solar storms on GPS and WAAS systems. The agency points out that so far, even during some of worst solar storms, WAAS disruption has generally been minimal, although maintaining Approaches with Vertical Guidance (APV) has been a challenge.
