10-26-2003, 01:58 PM
I never said that the sun or a solar flare would stop the earths core from spinning. I just said that it would push the electromagnetic field out of the way like the wind pushes an umbrella out of the way.
Take 2 magnets. One larger then the other. Use the big one to push the other one around, now take the big one away. The little magnet is still magnetic isn't it.
I'll use the example of the umbrella...
In light winds an umbrella can be used to deflect the wind and rain. But in heavy winds an umbrella is useless because it gets pushed to the size and falls apart.
This is just like the magnetic field of the earth. If you get a large enough magnetic force pushing against the earths magnetic field it will just push the earths field out of the way.
Another example you might understand acid is you get 2 guys with the same strength pushing against each other. Neither will move because they are the same strength.
Now you get one guy that can push say 100 pounds and another guy that can push 110 pounds. With that extra 10 pounds the second guy is gonna win in a pushing match (thou only very slowly.
This is what its like know. Earth is pushing with a electromagnetic force of 100 and the solar winds are pushing with a electromagnetic force of 90.
A solar flare is released by the sun (for what ever reason) and it hits earth with a electromagnetic force of 110. That force is enough to over power earths electromagnetic field, but only by a bit so the effect are pretty small.
Now what happens if a solar flare with an electromagnetic force of 150 hits? Again it over powers earths electromagnetic field but this time with more effects.
Things get even more complicated in that the earth just don't have a field strength of 100 all the way through. The electromagnetic field can range in strength and gets weaker the farther out you get. So we'll say that out by the moon the field strength is 100, but closer in orbit it has a field strength of 1000 (we'll say this is as strong as the field gets).
The stronger the electromagnetic effect of the flare is the closer to earth it can get. Now what do you think would happen if a solar flare with a strength of 1010 were to hit? It could make it all the way to earth and make the northern lights a little brighter. What would happen if the flares strength is 1500, it could make the northern lights VERY bright and mess up communications in the northern regons.
What would happen if a flare with a strength of 5000 hit... or a strength of 10,000 hit? What would happen then?
The sun can send out flares with electromagnetic fields that are many times earths own electromagnetic field because the sun is so much bigger then the earth. The sun is over 300,000 times larger then the earth (I can't remember the exact size, but I think its larger then that). Its not that inconceivable to think that the sun could create a solar flare with an electromagnetic field that is 10 times the strength of the earths field.
If a solar flare of say force 20,000 to 40,000 hit us, it could easily flash fry the side of the earth that is facing it at the time. We'd loose half our atmosphere and loose even more over time due to fires across whole continents. A large chunk of the oceans could be boiled off and turn to super heated steam. With this ever happen? Who knows, but it could. Just like an asteroid could hit us with no warning at all. (we've had a few close calls as of late) BTW we're hit by asteroids every day, just that most of them are smaller then a truck and never make it past the upper atmosphere.
Net is right, they figure that the electromagnetic field of the earth changes every 23,000 years or so. Basically the axis of the earth changes because its actually wobbling which changes the electromagnetic field. Its not enough to enough to get rid of the field but it does weaken it. I believe I read some where that north becomes south and south becomes north or something like that.
Take 2 magnets. One larger then the other. Use the big one to push the other one around, now take the big one away. The little magnet is still magnetic isn't it.
I'll use the example of the umbrella...
In light winds an umbrella can be used to deflect the wind and rain. But in heavy winds an umbrella is useless because it gets pushed to the size and falls apart.
This is just like the magnetic field of the earth. If you get a large enough magnetic force pushing against the earths magnetic field it will just push the earths field out of the way.
Another example you might understand acid is you get 2 guys with the same strength pushing against each other. Neither will move because they are the same strength.
Now you get one guy that can push say 100 pounds and another guy that can push 110 pounds. With that extra 10 pounds the second guy is gonna win in a pushing match (thou only very slowly.
This is what its like know. Earth is pushing with a electromagnetic force of 100 and the solar winds are pushing with a electromagnetic force of 90.
A solar flare is released by the sun (for what ever reason) and it hits earth with a electromagnetic force of 110. That force is enough to over power earths electromagnetic field, but only by a bit so the effect are pretty small.
Now what happens if a solar flare with an electromagnetic force of 150 hits? Again it over powers earths electromagnetic field but this time with more effects.
Things get even more complicated in that the earth just don't have a field strength of 100 all the way through. The electromagnetic field can range in strength and gets weaker the farther out you get. So we'll say that out by the moon the field strength is 100, but closer in orbit it has a field strength of 1000 (we'll say this is as strong as the field gets).
The stronger the electromagnetic effect of the flare is the closer to earth it can get. Now what do you think would happen if a solar flare with a strength of 1010 were to hit? It could make it all the way to earth and make the northern lights a little brighter. What would happen if the flares strength is 1500, it could make the northern lights VERY bright and mess up communications in the northern regons.
What would happen if a flare with a strength of 5000 hit... or a strength of 10,000 hit? What would happen then?
The sun can send out flares with electromagnetic fields that are many times earths own electromagnetic field because the sun is so much bigger then the earth. The sun is over 300,000 times larger then the earth (I can't remember the exact size, but I think its larger then that). Its not that inconceivable to think that the sun could create a solar flare with an electromagnetic field that is 10 times the strength of the earths field.
If a solar flare of say force 20,000 to 40,000 hit us, it could easily flash fry the side of the earth that is facing it at the time. We'd loose half our atmosphere and loose even more over time due to fires across whole continents. A large chunk of the oceans could be boiled off and turn to super heated steam. With this ever happen? Who knows, but it could. Just like an asteroid could hit us with no warning at all. (we've had a few close calls as of late) BTW we're hit by asteroids every day, just that most of them are smaller then a truck and never make it past the upper atmosphere.
Net is right, they figure that the electromagnetic field of the earth changes every 23,000 years or so. Basically the axis of the earth changes because its actually wobbling which changes the electromagnetic field. Its not enough to enough to get rid of the field but it does weaken it. I believe I read some where that north becomes south and south becomes north or something like that.