Re: What exactly does a solar EMP do?

Excellent question Justin. EMP is an acronym for Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP is a sudden burst of electromagnetic radiation. The normal source of EMP is from very high explosions in our atmosphere. This effect has been known since the earliest tests of nuclear weapons. The explosion leads to a burst of high energy electrons. Electrons however are charged particles and interact with magnetic fields - the magnetic field of the earth in particular. The electrons become trapped, spiraling along the earth's magnetic field lines. But the electrons originate as a burst so these electrons give rise to a rapidly rising electromagnetic field. That is an EMP.

Now electromagnetism can do some interesting things. It can induce currents in electrical conductors. Essentially that is what an EMP does. Electrical circuits and devices which are not protected against EMP can suddenly receive a large current, causing them to burn out.

However, powerful manmade explosions are not the only way to generate a burst of electrons in our atmosphere. Our sun is constantly showering our earth with a stream of high energy charged particles. Generally they are trapped above our world, providing a colorful night show for people living in the northern latitudes. But once in a while the sun releases an extraordinary burst of radiation. We call them Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), and these bursts push high-energy electrons deeper into our atmosphere. Such eruptions from the sun can (and have) create strong electromagnetic fields which can then induce currents in electrical devices. In March 1989, such an eruption from the sun induced currents in the power grid in Quebec Canada, burning it out. Power was out for 9 hours. Most such solar storms only provide a beautiful light show at night. But under the right (or, rather, wrong!) conditions, a powerful solar storm can create an EMP and cause damage to electric/electronic circuits. I hope this answers your question.

Some links for continued reading:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/the- smarter-grid/a-perfect-storm-of-planetary-proportions/0

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/06/us- utilities-noaa- solarstorms- idUSTRE7746UA20110806-

http://en.wikipe dia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm