Space Weather Impacts on Technological Infrastructures

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), one of the nine National Weather Service (NWS), National Centers for Environmental Prediction, is the nation's official source for space weather alerts and warnings. The rapid advances in the technology sector and our fast growing dependency on space-based systems have resulted in an ever-increasing vulnerability to hazardous space weather. NWS efforts to support aviation, emergency response efforts, and electric power grids, now extend to space and solar storms. Other key sectors impacted by space weather include satellite communications, and GPS applications, which pervade modern society. And the concerns are growing as we approach the next solar maximum, expected to peak in 2013. This presentation will address the different types of space weather events and how they impact our technological infrastructure.