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here's a story from Reuters today:
Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth, Tweaking Power Grids
Sat 25 October, 2003 00:45 BST
DENVER (Reuters) - The Earth's magnetic field was bombarded with extra energy from the Sun on Friday when a geomagnetic storm sent charged particles that affected electric utilities, airline communications and satellite navigation systems.
"We predicted it would be a mid-level storm, a G-3, and that's where it is," said Joe Kunches, chief of space weather operations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colorado.
The storm started around 11 a.m. eastern time and is expected to last through the weekend, Kunches said.
Electric utilities and other high-technology users were notified about the storm and no serious problems have been reported.
"We've heard from the power grid operators. They're doing OK, but they're seeing the effects of the storm in their data," Kunches said.
In a G-3 storm, power systems may need to correct voltage.
Communications systems in northern Canada have also seen some impact from the effects of the storm.
During the storm the sun sends more energy toward the Earth than usual. "The earth's magnetic field pulls it in ... and is now trying to balance it," Kunches said.
The effect can be felt worldwide and may even be more intense on the side of the Earth in darkness which is trying to "dump" the extra energy, he said.
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I know birds use geo-magnetism for their flight orientation. I was amazed at the erratic behavior of birds yesterday.
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