Solar storms disrupt GPS signals
Posted: Thu, Apr 5, 2007, 8:18 AM ET (1218 GMT)
A solar storm last year created enough radio noise to disrupt signals used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation network, scientists announced Wednesday. Powerful solar flares on December 5 and 6, 2006, generated a large amount of noise at frequencies used by the GPS system, swamping some receivers on the sunlit side of the Earth. The effects were more widespread than previously expected. Scientists said that while this was an isolated event, such flares will be more common in a few years when the Sun reaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, raising the prospect of more frequent disruptions of navigation services.
A solar storm last year created enough radio noise to disrupt signals used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation network, scientists announced Wednesday. Powerful solar flares on December 5 and 6, 2006, generated a large amount of noise at frequencies used by the GPS system, swamping some receivers on the sunlit side of the Earth. The effects were more widespread than previously expected. Scientists said that while this was an isolated event, such flares will be more common in a few years when the Sun reaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, raising the prospect of more frequent disruptions of navigation services.
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