VietNamNet Bridge – The Institute of Geophysics has forecast that this year Vietnam will be impacted by around 45 geomagnetic storms, with the intensity up to the highest level (G5).

The Institute’s Dr. Ha Duyen Chau says that geomagnetic storms on March 7 to 9 were not very strong and they did not make impact on the earth. However, the earth is under threat by many geomagnetic storms which will occur this year.

In previous years, the number of geomagnetic storms was around 17-20 a year, but this year it may reach 40 to 45, with the maxima intensity, up to 700nT, Dr. Chau warns.

Dr. Chau says that geomagnetic storms of 200nT upwards will harm human’s health. There are magnetism cells in bone, heart, and brain; so people who are affected with cardiovascular, nervous and bone diseases are very sensitive to geomagnetic storms.

In industry, geomagnetic storms can affect the operation of transformer stations.

In 2001, magnetism of up to over 10 Amps was measured at many transformer stations in Hanoi and HCM City because of geomagnetic storms.

Dr. Chau says that in Russia, the number of people who died by cardiovascular diseases increased by 30 percent in the years with strong geomagnetic storms.

The scientist advises people who are committed with cardiovascular, nervous and bone diseases to be cautious in the days of geomagnetic storms, especially when they drive and work above.

Vietnam has four stations which can discover solar storms based in the provinces of Lao Cai, Hanoi, Lam Dong and Bac Lieu. These stations collect data and transfer to the Institute of Geophysics to analyze.

A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the earth's magnetosphere caused by a disturbance in the interplanetary medium. A geomagnetic storm is a major component of space weather and provides the input for many other components of space weather.

A geomagnetic storm is caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field which interacts with the Earth's magnetic field. The increase in the solar wind pressure initially compresses the magnetosphere and the solar wind magnetic field will interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and transfer an increased amount of energy into the magnetosphere.

Both interactions cause an increase in movement of plasma through the magnetosphere and an increase in electric current in the magnetosphere and ionosphere.

Thanh Van