- GPS and navigation systems could fail.
- Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
- Power grids could be damaged.
- Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
- Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
- Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.
- Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
(b) 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only
(c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Answer: (c)
Option (c) is correct:
A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. The explosive heat of a solar flare can’t make it all the way to our globe (Hence Statement 5 can be said wrong), but electromagnetic radiation and energetic particles certainly can. Solar flares can temporarily alter the upper atmosphere creating disruptions with signal transmission from, say, a GPS satellite to Earth causing it to be off by many yards. Another phenomenon produced by the sun could be even more disruptive. Known as a coronal mass ejection or CME, these solar explosions propel bursts of particles and electromagnetic fluctuations into Earth’s atmosphere. Those fluctuations could induce electric fluctuations at ground level that could blow out transformers in power grids. A CME’s particles can also collide with crucial electronics onboard a satellite and disrupt its systems. (Source NASA website). A tsunami is a long, high sea wave caused by an earthquake or oceanic volcanic activity. Similarly, a forest fire can not be caused directly by solar flares as they are not too powerful to burn the earth’s surface.
Elimination Technique: Statement 2 is very specific. There is no direct correlation between the solar storm and occurrence of Tsunamis at equatorial regions. So, by eliminating that we are remaining with only option C.
