13 October, 2009 (16:00 GMT), 5 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

Speaker: Dr. Heather McCreadie, University Munich, Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Germany.
Title: The Sun’s influence on the Earth’s magnetic field.

Abstract:

The Earth is enveloped in plasma constantly streaming from the Sun, called the solar wind. The magnetic field of the Earth shields it from the solar wind enabling an atmosphere. The shielding process is not a simple blocking phenomenon. It is a living interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. Space weather is the term used to describe fluctuations in the solar wind. An extreme space weather event arises from an explosion on the surface of the sun directed towards the Earth; whether it be particles – Coronal Mass Explosion, or energy – solar flare. It will evoke an extreme response in the magnetic field of the Earth. This presentation will describe the normal and extreme response of the Earth’s magnetic field to the solar wind.