Why geomagnetic storms affect telegraphs, telephones, power
grids and piplines The Space Environment Center website has
information on solar conditions and the effects of the solar
wind, under the headings of Geomagnetic Storms, Solar Radiation
and Radio Blackouts. A surprising number of things are affected
by solar weather. Solar Radation is just that, ionizing
particles that can be a hazard to high flying. Radio Blackouts
are apparently the result of an intensification of the lower
ionospheric layers that strongly absorb radio waves on the
sunlit side. Geomagnetic Storms are fluctuations in the
geomagnetic field, which induce electrical currents affecting
various activities. Information from the site told me that
geomagnetic fluctuations are reported by a number called Kp,
which ranges from 0 to 9 depending on the strength of the
fluctuations in the last three-hour period. Kp has to reach
about 5 before minor disturbances are possible. The larger the
value of Kp, the further south the aurora can be seen. Fo