After a summer that has brought an unusually powerful earthquake and a destructive hurricane to the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada, we may not be ready for more dire forecasts predicting even greater destructive forces lurking in our universe. Perhaps that is why we don’t hear daily reports about solar spots, solar storms and magnetic polar reversal. According to solar experts, we are in for an increase of solar activity, and this heightened activity on the surface of the sun could throw the Earth’s magnetic field in to disarray. The Earth’s magnetic poles could even flip, causing our compasses to orient themselves to the south. Apparently, this is nothing new. Our planet is dynamic and has gone through many such pole reversals, and we are long overdue for another. Rumor has it NASA has even assigned a year for our next one. You probably guessed it: the year is 2012. So what gives here? Read on.

Nightmare Scenarios

Let’s get the worst case solar windstorm scenario out of the way then explore some facts. Effectively we have a two-pronged potential crisis over our heads: increased solar activity and a weakened magnetic field (magnetosphere) around Earth. The magnetosphere works as a protective barrier, shielding us from dangerous solar particles. If our magnetic field is weak enough, it could, theoretically, allow massive waves of ultraviolet radiation and electromagnetic energy to rain down on us. If that happened, the result would be absolute chaos. In addition to wide scale radiation exposure, solar storms would knock out numerous electrical grids that power homes and businesses across North America not to speak of other parts of the world. Satellites would be fried. All wireless Voip communication systems and wireless regional and international cell phone services would cease to function. Conventional residential and commercial telephone services, transportation, food and drinking water distribution could be severely impacted. A prolonged breakdown of these systems could result in widespread social and economic disruptions leading to the institution of military rule while governments scrambled to gain control.

Some Reassuring Facts

Now that we have covered some of the dire predictions, let’s take a look at some of the facts. When it comes to scientific studies, often there is little agreement among scientists on how to interpret the results. There is also a tendency to exaggerate certain facts while downplaying or worse ignoring other facts that do not fit a specific hypothesis. First off, our sun goes through regular 11 year cycles. Our last one began in 2001, and our magnetosphere successfully shielded us from solar particles at that time. The question of how big this new solar cycle’s storms will be is subject to considerable debate. And, as for magnetic polar reversal, though there is evidence our Earth has experienced many such reversals, there is little evidence to show this has ever posed a serious threat to species survival.  The same is true for the relative strength or weakness of Earth’s magnetic field.  The condition of the field does not appear to have much impact on life here on Earth. All we know is that the Earth’s magnetic field is constantly changing due to the movements of molten iron in the outer core of our planet, and these changes our linked to solar activity cycles. When it comes to NASA predictions, it is best to go to the source and consult their website.

There is still much to learn about the dynamics of the Earth’s magnetic field and the influence the sun has on it. Will there be magnetic pole reversal in 2012? Will a new cycle of high intensity solar activity knock out communications systems and bring chaos to our planet? Most scientific authorities suggest that is unlikely, but no one really knows for sure. We live on a changing planet.