Solar storms threat: Michigan researchers work to improve forecasts
ANN ARBOR, Mich. Faculty members at the University of Michigan are leading two $2.9 million projects to improve solar storm forecasting. The University of Michigan is involved in two projects:The NextGen Space Weather Modeling Framework project, funded by NSF, aims to accurately predict solar storms and coronal mass ejections a full day in advance. And Aether, funded by NASA, aims to improve models of Earths upper atmosphere. Other than a pandemic, a space weather-caused disruption is the only natural threat that would have nationwide impacts, said Gabor Toth, U-M research professor of climate and space sciences and engineering and principal investigator on the space weather modeling framework project. If we know what to expect and when, most consequences of space weather can be avoided.