Severe Space Weather Events

The adverse effects of extreme space weather on modern technology-power grid outages, high-frequency communication blackouts, spacecraft anomalies-are well known and well documented, and the physical processes underlying space weather are also generally well understood. Less well documented and understood, however, are the potential economic and societal impacts of the disruption of critical technological systems by severe space weather. As a first step toward determining the socioeconomic impacts of extreme space weather events and addressing the questions of space weather risk assessment and management, a public workshop was held in May 2008. The workshop brought together representatives of industry, the government, and academia to consider both direct and collateral effects of severe space weather events, the current state of the space weather services infrastructure in the United States, the needs of users of space weather data and services, and the ramifications of future technological developments for contemporary society's vulnerability to space weather. The workshop concluded with a discussion of un- or underexplored topics that would yield the greatest benefits in space weather risk management. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Space Weather Impacts in Retrospect 3 Space Weather and Society 4 Current Space Weather Services Infrastructure 5 User Perspectives on Space Weather Products 6 Satisfying Space Weather User Needs 7 Future Solutions, Vulnerabilities, and Risks 8 Facilitated Open Audience Discussion: The Way Forward Appendix A: Statement of Task Appendix B: Workshop Agenda and Participants Appendix C: Abstracts Prepared by Workshop Panelists Appendix D: Biographies of Committee Members and Staff Appendix E: Select Acronyms and Terms