A Sneak Peak 👀

I’m sharing the introduction of my literature review to show the focus of the paper I’ve been working on over the past couple of months. Let me know what you think!

The Sun, while acting as an energy source and supporting human life and plant life, also has the potential to destroy society as we know it. Much like how tropical storms develop during hurricane season in the middle of the Atlantic before making their way towards land, solar storms develop during the solar maximums of the solar cycle. Solar storms include phenomena such as solar flares, solar proton events, and coronal mass ejections. These storms have the capacity to disrupt society and create damage in the trillions of dollars. 

Such destructive capabilities demonstrate the importance of understanding the Sun. Since the 18th century, scientists have documented the Sun, counting the changing number of sunspots and recording emitted phenomena. In the 21st century, scientists continue this trend, yet they aren’t any closer to uncovering the secret behind the Sun’s magnetic field, known as the solar dynamo, and the factors causing solar phenomena. 

This paper offers a deep dive into a related topic that is relevant to our daily lives: the impacts of solar storms. In this paper, I specifically answer the following research questions: What are the short- and long-term effects of an impactful solar storm? What can nations do to mitigate these impacts?

First, I will explain what a solar storm is, what it consists of, and why the Sun acts the way that it does. Then, I will address the probability of solar storms, how we might predict them before they happen, and if we can predict “The Big One”? After all, “The difference in solar storm intensity is like the difference between being hit with a tropical rainstorm and being devastated by a Category 5 hurricane” (Marusek 1). Next, I will examine the destructive impacts of a solar storm, including how a solar storm affects the atmosphere, satellites, radio communications, power grids, and human biology. Finally, I will explore what can be done to mitigate the impacts of a solar storm at the community, state, and national levels. I will also explain the potential of the united efforts of global powers.

This question of uniting global power to address global issues has interested me throughout high school. As a Model UN participant, I’ve explored different countries' approaches to humanitarian efforts, yet haven’t been able to explore how nations would respond to a purely scientific problem. Initially interested in exploring an idealist response to climate change, I was then led down a new path after learning and observing sunspots through Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth astrophysics course. Through this exploration, I’ve expanded my understanding of the Sun and of solar physics, gotten the chance to pose questions to experts, and explored global politics and topics of interdependence. I hope this paper acts as a resource to anyone interested in learning about this niche topic, and that my breakdowns of complex topics allows for easy understanding.

Thanks for reading!