You know sometimes predicting things can be a little unnerving.

Scientists have found two large leaks in Earth’s magnetosphere, the region around our planet that shields us from severe solar storms.

The leaks are defying many of scientists’ previous ideas on how the interaction between Earth’s magnetosphere and solar wind occurs: The leaks are in an unexpected location, let in solar particles in faster than expected and the whole interaction works in a manner that is completely the opposite of what scientists had thought.

The findings have implications for how solar storms affect the our planet. Serious storms, which involved charged particles spewing from the sun, can disable satellites and even disrupt power grids on Earth.

The new observations “overturn the way that we understand how the sun’s magnetic field interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field,” said David Sibeck of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., during a press conference today at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

The bottom line: When the next peak of solar activity comes, in about 4 years, electrical systems on Earth and satellites in space may be more vulnerable.

Oh don’t worry, it gets worse…

This finding not only has implications for scientists’ understanding of the interaction between the sun and Earth’s magnetosphere, but for predicting the effects to Earth during the next peak in the solar cycle.

The Sun operates on an 11-year cycle, alternating between active and quiet periods. We are currently in a quiet period, with few sunspots on the sun’s surface and fewer solar flares, though the next cycle of activity has begun. It is expected to peak around 2012, bringing lots of sunspots, flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). CMEs can interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere, causing problems for satellites, communications, and power grids.

This upcoming active period now looks like it will be more intense than the previous one, which peaked around 2006, some scientists think. The reason is the changes in the sun’s alignment.

During the last peak, solar fields hitting the Earth were first anti-aligned then aligned. Anti-aligned fields can energize particles, but in this case, the energy came before the particles themselves, which doesn’t create much of a fuss in terms of geomagnetic storms and disruptions.

But the next cycle will see aligned, then anti-aligned fields, in theory amplifying the effects of the storms as they hit.

Raeder likens the difference to igniting a gas stove one of two ways: In the first way, the gas is turned on and the stove is lit and you get a flame. In the other way, you let the gas run for awhile, so that when you add the gas you get a much bigger boom.

“It should be that we’re in for a tough time in the next 11 years,” Sibeck said.

Huh. Someone should write a book on that.

livescience.com

Where have I been? Writing! Like, furiously writing.

In short, first children’s book is finished and being polished.

Had an offer on a new thriller. This should be done by Easter.

Also working on 3 other books when I have time.

Watch this space because announcements are around the corner. If all goes well there’s going to be a LOT of new material from me in 2009.

Happy New Year!

And you think I’m kidding.

Here’s what I grew up watching as a kid. Nationwide on the BBC!

Here’s Beyonce’s new hit Single Ladies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REHbgBPkvEE

Who knew she was a fan too?