My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my
Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me
thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade
disasters.
Today’s
disaster are...
SOLAR
FLARE and SINKHOLE
Solar
Flares are sudden flashes of brightness on the Sun’s surface or
the Solar Limb, and are powered by the magnetic energy store in the Sun’s
corona. The energy release is about a sixth of the Sun’s total energy output
each second. In other terms, it’s equivalent to 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT.
The flare ejects a cloud of electrons, ions, and atoms
through the corona of the sun into space. These clouds typically reach Earth
1-2 days after the solar flare. X-Rays and UV radiation emitted by the flares
can affect Earth’s ionosphere and disrupt radio communications.
FACT: The
first solar flare was observed by Richard Christopher Carrington (and independently
by Richard Hodgson) in 1859.
Small solar flares can occur several times a day when the
Sun is active to once a week when it’s quiet. In 2012, Earth barely missed a
massive and potentially damaging solar superstorm.
FACT: There
is an estimated 12% chance of another massive solar superstorm occurring between
now and 2022.
Have you seen the movie Knowing with Nicolas Cage? It's an odd movie and at the end *SPOILER* the Earth is destroyed by a solar flare.
Have you seen the movie Knowing with Nicolas Cage? It's an odd movie and at the end *SPOILER* the Earth is destroyed by a solar flare.
Sinkholes
are
holes in the ground caused by a collapse of the surface layer, such as from an
earthquake. They can be anywhere from 1 to 600 meters long as well as deep.
They can form gradually or suddenly all over the world. In the United States,
Florida (especially the most central part) is known for having frequent
sinkhole collapses.
Sinkholes can open up under houses and roads, swallowing
cars and even burying people alive. A few years ago, I heard a report of a
sinkhole opening beneath a house in Florida, right under a bedroom. At the
time, a man was sleeping in bed and was lost.
FACT: For
centuries, sinkholes have been used as disposal sites for waste.
QUESTION: Have you seen Knowing? Do
you live in Florida? I do...and I'm in the central part. *gulps* Have you ever seen a sinkhole? I haven't and hope I never do!
P: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall
S: Solar Flare and Sinkhole
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall
S: Solar Flare and Sinkhole
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