Space Weather and Aviation
Table of Contents
Space Weather and Aviation
Space weather, including radio blackout events, solar radiation storms, and geomagnetic storms, can disrupt radio communications, interfere with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and increase radiation exposure at flight altitudes. The impacts of recent space weather events include documented reports of HF radio degradation and radio loss, both at high latitudes and over the oceans. One event in January 2012 led to 13 overdue position reports for flights over the Central East Pacific and Central West Pacific.
Question
The lack of radio communications and other space weather issues necessitate the rerouting of polar flights in both hemispheres. What effects would airlines experience due to this rerouting? (Choose the best answer.)
The correct answer is e).
For the airlines, this rerouting means delays, higher fuel consumption, additional crew hours, potential additional stops, and significant expense.
Space weather effects can be observed over various regions of the globe. The impacts tend to be most pronounced at high latitudes (>50 degrees) and the polar regions (>78 degrees) in both hemispheres. The North Pole region has become particularly well traveled as airlines implement an increasing number of polar flights, particularly between North America and Asia. In 2011 alone, almost 11,000 flights traveled polar routes. Space weather can be particularly disruptive to flights over the shorter polar routes and can force deviations to much longer routes. The following animation illustrates the impact of rerouting a flight between San Francisco, U.S. and Delhi, India. The shorter polar route is shown by the solid line while the dashed line indicates the longer non-polar route, requiring stops for refueling.
Because of the costly impact of space weather events, your aviation partners will depend on you for the best possible information. Space weather alert products are available from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. CWSU meteorologists should have a good understanding of these products and how they relate to aviation impacts. For more information, review the Space Weather Impacts on Aviation module.