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Fundamental Aspects of Coronal Mass Ejections

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Handbook of Cosmic Hazards and Planetary Defense

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Abstract

The most violent frequently reoccurring events in the solar system are coronal mass ejections. During a high energy cycle of the Sun, or solar max, these can happen as often as six times a day. If the most extreme of these events are focused so they directly impact Earth, the force of impact can be the equivalent of a huge number of nuclear bombs that can generate an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) with devastating effect. Such a pulse could cripple the world’s electrical grids and knock out most satellites in orbit. This chapter describes the so-called CME phenomenon and current understanding of why and how they occur. The final element of the chapter discusses the Earth’s naturally occurring protective systems that minimize the impact of these otherwise deadly occurrences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INPE, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil

    Carlos Alexandre Wuensche

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  1. Carlos Alexandre Wuensche
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Correspondence to Carlos Alexandre Wuensche .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. US Department of Defense, Albuquergue, New Mexico, USA

    Firooz Allahdadi

  2. Arlington, Virginia, USA

    Joseph N. Pelton

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Wuensche, C.A. (2014). Fundamental Aspects of Coronal Mass Ejections. In: Allahdadi, F., Pelton, J. (eds) Handbook of Cosmic Hazards and Planetary Defense. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02847-7_7-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02847-7_7-1

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