Global "RADIO BLACKOUT ZONE" Marching across the Atlantic toward the Americas!

Conditions in the D-Region of the Ionosphere have a dramatic effect on High Frequency (HF) communications and Low Frequency (LF) navigation systems like Loran. The global D-Region Absorption Product depicts the D-region at high latitudes where it is driven by particles as well as low latitudes, where photons cause the prompt changes. This product merges all latitudes using appropriate displays, and is useful to customers such as commercial aviation and maritime users.

For more information on this developing phenomenon, you can follow it on the NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center, here... [link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]

Would you please break this down to laymans terms?

Not all of us here know or have the time to learn the jargon used in this industry but ARE intelligent enough to understand a "simpler" explanation.

Thanks in advance



Last Edited by Hitndahedfred on 02/17/2011 08:04 AM

Nice catch :-) thanks 4 posting!

The purpleish blue gumdrop on earth is getting bigger.

interesting..thanks!

Moving, I mean moving.

I think he is trying to say that the sun is coming up.

The sun screws up the ionosphere so you can't get those night time long distance AM radio signals.

I predict a drought in Africa this year.

It's now entering US!

SO,,,, Should I assume we will possibly have issues today then?

Our VSAT connections will have issues possibly then today?

We have huge VSAT connections across multiple satellites in Geosync orbits here on the East coast of the USA.



Last Edited by Hitndahedfred on 02/17/2011 08:20 AM

For a reply hopefully

I am not an expert in radio communications either!

Basically it shows an area of HF (High Frequency) radio disruption. This Product shows the impact of the solar X-ray flux and SEP events on HF radio communication.
HF radio communication is used in In Airline, Maritime, and Shortwave communication.

This is traveling along with the sun! This phenomenon has to have several components to exist, and one of them is the sun.

The colored region on the map is the daylight region. Low frequencies like AM radio and 160 meter amatuer radio work great at night but don't work at all during the day unless you use megawatts. AM radio uses less power at night and half of the stations go off the air because of the potential for interference because of the greatly increased range.

The map shows the highest frequency absorbed by the ionosphere. All frequencies below that are absorbed too. They never make it out of the ionosphere so that frequency is dead for normal power radios. As you go outward toward night you can see that the absorbed frequency goes to basically nothing.

This has nothing to do with REFLECTING off the ionosphere. At night higher frequencies don't reflect because the ionosphere gets thinner when the sun isn't pelting it with charged particles. A thin ionosphere won't reflect. But as soon as the sun comes up it all changes and the maximum frequency that will bounce goes up.

During a solar event the ionosphere gets thicker and lower, which allows even higher frequencies to bounce off of it. Hams all over the world are waiting for the flare to hit the earth so they can use these higher frequencies.

Animals will go into spontaneous rages and may turn on their owners. All cat and dog pet owners be advised to please have your pets on leashes in your homes or preferably outside your homes due to the potential danger of you getting mauled to shreds by your pets.

I saw an operator over on solarcycle24.com mention that this D-Absorbtion that has already gone in to the yellow, had already got as far as it ever did during cycle 23.

I've always liked the purple gumdrops the best.

sorta looks like the Atlantic to me..

The D layer of the ionosphere is the lowest of the layers. It won't affect the normal daytime frequencies very much except at latitudes near the poles during a big solar event. There will be zero radio wave propagation over the poles, possibly all of Alaska will be without radio communications.

The bigger the solar event the wider the area affected. It sounds like this one might be a huge one.

Also, I believe if the D layers gets thick enough then all normal HF radio frequencies will be absorbed. No radio. TV and satellite frequencies may make it through. But satellite communication may be affected just because they are getting blasted with charged particles, a separate problem.

====================================================

So we MAY experience SOME blackout or brownout conditions today?

How long is the expected duration of this event?

I appreciate your input. I know you guys are so excited you are ready to pee all over the place, HA! I am a daily visitor of [link to solarcycle24.com] so I can feel you enthusiasm. There are some very strange anomalies going on.
I have never seen the ACE, GOES, and other instruments so quiet. The BZ is flat, the Solar wind is calm, and the Auroral oval is as white as a ghost. Very eerie to say the least. Like I said in another thread, it reminds me of the tide sucking back before a tsunami.

Last Edited by tomasgod1 on 02/17/2011 09:32 AM

Much better.



So this is pretty much a confirmation that satellite and radio signals are going to be messed up? Please translate to blonde. Thanks! ;)

Last Edited by cRoSS FiRe on 02/17/2011 09:22 AM

Blonde....just listn to your ipod today!

i thought it was odd when i checked nict this morning that there was no unusual activity with the magnetic shield.

I thought that was the ATLANTIC ocean

I'm asking for the dumbed-down version. ;) That's the good part about GLP, all bases are covered. Surely someone can explain this without alphabets and numbers.

Kinda like this:

Mmmm Gumdrops...

Hope it won't knockout my Gilligan radio implant.

Well said. Worth repeating (pun for you hams)

I love listening on SW as I can really pickup some great signals at night.