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Can solar flare cause blackout?

Flux (metallurgy)

Coronal mass ejection

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Solar flares can indeed cause blackouts in radio communication due to the heightened solar X-ray irradiance ionizing the ionosphere. These blackouts can vary in duration, lasting from a few minutes to over an hour depending on the scale of the solar flare. The effects of solar activity, such as intense solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can lead to signal fading or loss, disrupting high-frequency radio communication. The sudden increase in ionospheric electron density caused by intense X-ray fluxes during solar flares poses a serious problem for radio wave communication and navigation systems. Understanding the characteristics and impacts of solar flares on the ionosphere is crucial for predicting and mitigating blackout events in radio communication systems.

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Journal Article•DOI High-frequency trend during intense solar activity in September 2017: equatorial studies Sabirin Abdullah, Johari Talib - Show less +1 more 01 Oct 2021-Indian Journal of Physics	Solar flares can cause radio blackouts, such as R1-R2 and R3 levels, affecting HF communication due to ionospheric disturbances during intense solar activity, as observed in September 2017.
Open access•Journal Article•DOI Forecasting the Remaining Duration of an Ongoing Solar Flare Jeffrey W. Reep, W. T. Barnes - Show less +1 more 20 Jul 2021-Space Weather-the International Journal of Research and Applications 5 Citations	Yes, solar flares can cause radio blackouts due to heightened solar X-ray irradiance, leading to ionization of atoms in the ionosphere, as discussed in the paper.
Open access•Journal Article•DOI Extreme Solar Flare-driven Short-wave Fadeout Observed by SuperDARN ZHO Radar X. Liu, Z. Wang, J. Y. Lu, J. Liu, H.-Q. Hu, M. Wang, Kai Zhao - Show less +6 more 01 Jul 2022-The astrophysical journal 1 Citations	Solar flares can cause blackout known as short-wave fadeout (SWF) events, with onset, blackout, and recovery durations observed in the Southern Hemispheric high latitude during extreme flare occurrences.
Open access•Posted Content Forecasting the Remaining Duration of an Ongoing Solar Flare Jeffrey W. Reep, W. T. Barnes - Show less +1 more 05 Mar 2021-arXiv: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 3 Citations	Solar flares can cause radio blackouts due to heightened solar X-ray irradiance, leading to ionization in the ionosphere, potentially causing disruptions in communication systems.

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