Space Plasma Physics The Study of Solar-System Plasmas (1978) / Chapter Skim
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Impacts of Solar System Environment on Man and Man on the Environment
Impacts of Solar System Environment on Man and Man on the Environment
Pages 516-525
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From page 516... ...
It was a distinct surprise when the association between magnetic storms and power outages was first realized. Moreover, it is unlikely that engineers planning cable communications or petroleum exploration realized, from the outset, that the functioning of their equipment might be affected by fluctuations of the geomagnetic field.
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From page 517... ...
Perhaps the most striking example of a possible effect of the type we are considering, which originated in analysis of observational data, is a possible association between solar variability and terrestrial o weather and/or climate. Wilcox notes that claims for a connection between the variable sun and the earth's weather can be found in well over 1,000 papers published during the past century, many of these papers written by illustrious scientists.
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From page 518... ...
If financial support is available, this in itself tends to make the topic respectable; in addition, it clearly facilitates further research which will lead eventually to a validation or refutation of these speculations. On the other hand, it is unlikely that a Federal agency funding scientific research will give an implicit stamp of approval to a subject which is considered by most scientists to be of dubious respectability.
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From page 519... ...
For instance, a number of Russian scientists have claimed that there is a real association between geomagnetic storms and the incidence of various human diseases ' ' . In particular, Gnevyshev and Novikova claim that there is a correlation between solar activity and both myocardial infarction and stroke.
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From page 520... ...
In a later article , the same scientists searched instead for a correlation between psychiatric hospital admissions and cosmic ray activity. Their claim is that cosmic ray indexes provide more significant parameters of geophysical events related to human behavior measures than do the more typical measures of geomagnetic activity, such as the K-index or Ap.
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From page 521... ...
It has been known for some time that VLF chorus emissions are 13 influenced by power line radiation . Since VLF electromagnetic waves play an important role in the precipitation of particles from the magneto14 15 sphere into the ionosphere ' ' , it is perhaps not too far-fetched to speculate that power line radiation may lead to precipitation which in turn produces ionospheric effects.
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From page 522... ...
Substantially enhanced radiation may be a danger to astronauts. In addition, the enhanced rate of dumping of energetic particles into the ionosphere, which may follow such a perturbation of the radiation belts, is likely to cause changes in the D and E layers, and possibly magnetic pulsations which may interfere with power control systems and telephone communication systems.
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From page 523... ...
Intriguing scientific questions arise not only from the rational pursuit of existing knowledge, but also from the study of possible associations of seemingly unrelated variables, and from studying the implications of man's increasing capability to perturb his environment.
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From page 524... ...
and B Dull, Zusammenhange zwischen Storungen des Erdmagnestismus und Haufungen von Todesfallen, Deutsch.
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From page 525... ...
Becker, and C.H. Bachman, Geomagnetic parameters and psychiatric hospital admission.
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