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Last Post 3/19/2008 7:31 PM by David Alexander

Solar Storms

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Anonymous

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3/19/2008 8:00 AM
How much energy, heat, and power can a solar storm generate? Dan H (FWMS)

David Alexander

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3/19/2008 7:31 PM
Hello Dan, Roughly speaking all of the components of a solar storm have the same energy with an order of magnitude or two. The thermal part of a solar flare contains about 10^22 Joules, the energy in accelerated electrons is 10^21 to 10^25 Joules, the energy in the accelerated protons is about 10^21 to 10^25 Joules, and the kinetic energy of the coronal mass ejection is also about 10^24 Joules. As a reference, the power consumption of the United States in a whole year is about 10^20 Joules. So the energy released in a large solar storm is about 100,000 year worth of power for the US. Cheers - David