EXPLANATION NEEDED

[SirGregory]

[EternityTide]

A collapsing glacier, perhaps? Glaciers form spires and peaks of ice known as seracs that look remarkably similar to high rise buildings from a distance, especially when they are just a silhouette, and given the geometric style of this artwork as well.

For example:

[SirGregory]

Maybe... They seem too sharp and strait you could be on the right track but... I would like a official explanation.

[Temper225]

Eternity tide: the king of Wikipedia

Or he is just knowledgeable

[a-z-booka]

A collapsing glacier, perhaps?

I do not agree. I think it is what it seems to be: a city. Obviously plot will be about us going from crash site in the Canadian taiga to some more civilized and populated areas, thus cities, small and big. So I would say the forum header symbolize our goal: to wade our way through endless northern wilderness, to stay alive long enough to get to safety.

Oh, and I just must say this:

Yes, the global geomagnetic storm could've destroyed all sensitive electronics, but it couldn't possibly laid a city in ashes or even kill a man. Even the EMP caused by a high altitude nuclear explosion can't kill but it does destroy all the unshielded electrics in ~2000km, depending on the hight and power of the explosion.

One more thing about real life geomagnetic storms: they do not harm small electrics (mobile phones; laptops; watches e.t.c.), they are dangerous to those electric systems that have really long conductors inside of them (power lines; communication cables...).

[EternityTide]

A collapsing glacier, perhaps?

I do not agree. I think it is what it seems to be: a city. Obviously plot will be about us going from crash site in the Canadian taiga to some more civilized and populated areas, thus cities, small and big. So I would say the forum header symbolize our goal: to wade our way through endless northern wilderness, to stay alive long enough to get to safety.

Oh, and I just must say this:

Yes, the global geomagnetic storm could've destroyed all sensitive electronics, but it couldn't possibly laid a city in ashes or even kill a man. Even the EMP caused by a high altitude nuclear explosion can't kill but it does destroy all the unshielded electrics in ~2000km, depending on the hight and power of the explosion.

One more thing about real life geomagnetic storms: they do not harm small electrics (mobile phones; laptops; watches e.t.c.), they are dangerous to those electric systems that have really long conductors inside of them (power lines; communication cables...).

Fair enough, I was merely making a suggestion. I do use Wikipedia occasionally, but most of the stuff I know is random crap I pick up from reading.

[EternityTide]

Additionally, I would like to add that the solar wind from a coronal mass ejection capable of causing a geomagnetic storm would have an EMP effect orders of magnitude above that of a nuclear blast in the upper stratosphere

[SirGregory]

a-z-booka you are entirely correct after doing some of my own research i totally agree with you. I see society ripping them selfs apart due to mass black outs and no readily available resourced in the city. I swear there was a movie on this...

[a-z-booka]

Additionally, I would like to add that the solar wind from a coronal mass ejection capable of causing a geomagnetic storm would have an EMP effect orders of magnitude above that of a nuclear blast in the upper stratosphere

I'm not sure I understood you right as my English is far from perfect. Nevertheless.

Geomagnetic storm and an EMP, though they have similar nature, are different things. EMPs are much stronger (though local) than geomagnetic storms and they "include" them.

First goes the powerful electromagnetic pulse (~1 microsecond) and then goes the storm. Geomagnetic storms occur "all the time", if they would be not only global but also as destructive as EMPs the Earth would be a difficult place to live on.

[EternityTide]

an electromagentic pulse is a broad range, high energy transmittance of electromagnetic radiation (Light, Radio waves, Gamma rays, Xrays are all types of electromagnetic radiation) The locality of it has nothing to do with how it is classified. It should be understood that the solar wind from the Sun is more of an electromagnetic bombardment than an electromagnetic pulse, meaning that it would constantly interfere with electronics on a near constant basis if it wasn't blocked by the magnetic field. the reason an EMP is picked up when a nuclear bomb goes off is because the EM radiation is a byproduct of the fission (or fusion) process occuring in the detonation. The sun is a massive nuclear furnace, ejecting hundreds of billions of tons of charged, super heated particles every second. despite our distance from the sun, we still get a rather large punch from ion storms sweeping out from the Sun's corona. Since the magnetic field is disrupted, I wouldn't factor out exotic radiation from beyond the solar system coming into play.

[SirGregory]

Science!

[a-z-booka]

[..]Light, Radio waves, Gamma rays, Xrays are all types of electromagnetic radiation[..]

Yep, I know.

The locality of it has nothing to do with how it is classified.

I meant that EMPs are stronger than geomagnetic storms caused by solar wind, but they don't affect the entire Earth.

It should be understood that the solar wind from the Sun is more of an electromagnetic bombardment than an electromagnetic pulse [..] the reason an EMP is picked up when a nuclear bomb goes off is because the EM radiation is a byproduct of the fission (or fusion) process occuring in the detonation. The sun is a massive nuclear furnace [..] we still get a rather large punch from ion storms sweeping out from the Sun's corona. Since the magnetic field is disrupted, I wouldn't factor out exotic radiation from beyond the solar system coming into play.

Mhm, I know this too. But I wasn't able to determine our disagreement point. You disagree that real life geomagnetic storms are not that dangerous and devastating as EMPs?

[EternityTide]

my point was that a local EMP is simply a local disturbance by a high energy event (Nuclear bomb). A geomagnetic event would have far larger consequences, and would effect smaller devices purely due to the intensity of the radiation, which, I might add, would have more detrimental effects to smaller technology, but due to the distance from the sun, the more lethal varieties of radiation would not actual kill us.

My expansion on my explanations:

EternityTide wrote:

It should be understood that the solar wind from the Sun is more of an electromagnetic bombardment than an electromagnetic pulse [..] the reason an EMP is picked up when a nuclear bomb goes off is because the EM radiation is a byproduct of the fission (or fusion) process occuring in the detonation. The sun is a massive nuclear furnace [..] we still get a rather large punch from ion storms sweeping out from the Sun's corona. Since the magnetic field is disrupted, I wouldn't factor out exotic radiation from beyond the solar system coming into play.

... and other examples were for the benefit of readers without experience in Physics, since this is a forum.

[EternityTide]

Stuff like Gamma radiation and X-rays, which are produced by the sun (in far smaller quantities than quasars and black holes)

would be absorbed by the upper ionosphere and stratosphere, as high energy wavelengths such as that degrade over distance, especially when produced at the lower intensities produced from the sun. (I'm talking soft X-rays here, in the 100 nanometre wavelength). I might add that this is no specialty of mine, so their may be a fair number of errors in my statements, I'm better at thermal physics and kinematics, not nuclear physics.

[SirGregory]

what have i started between you 2 ;-;

[EternityTide]

I don't know, but I am a fiend for arguments, I am afraid. I haven't had a good sparring partner like this in years.

[SirGregory]

shoot me a message tide

[EternityTide]

message sent, good sir, did you receive?

[autonomous]

The magnetic poles protect earth from all but the most powerful geomagnetic storms usually we just get the Aurora Borealis as a light show with know real danger. In this game they claim it was as powerful or more so then the geomagnetic storm of 1859 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

TL;DR

it was visible in the Americas, Europe, Australia Cuba and Hawaii and bright enough to read by it's light.

It fried out several telegraph systems and zapped a few of the operators

"There is an estimated 12% chance of a similar event occurring between 2012 and 2022."!

Wikipedia for the win

[SirGregory]

mhm.

[a-z-booka]

[..] a local EMP is simply a local disturbance by a high energy event (Nuclear bomb). A geomagnetic event would have far larger consequences, and would effect smaller devices purely due to the intensity of the radiation, [..] but [..] would not actual kill us.

Geomagnetic storms usually don't inflict any catastrophic damages, as power grids and other large-scale conducting infrastructures have build-in safety and compensating measures. And smaller devices don't have conductors long enough for storms to make any permanent damage causing induced currents.

As for radiation: it will be fully absorbed by the atmosphere and deflected by the geomagnetic field. It can be dangerous for astronauts and satellites though. There were a few incredibly powerful storms for the time of observations that should happen in our time would result in a huge worldwide disaster.

[..] In this game they claim it was as powerful or more so then the geomagnetic storm of 1859 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859 [..] It fried out several telegraph systems and zapped a few of the operators. There is an estimated 12% chance of a similar event occurring between 2012 and 2022.

As autonomous said the most powerful storm recorded happened in September 1859. During its course aurora's lights could be seen even in Italy. If it would happen today we would be in real trouble, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Most of the damages would be restored in 1, max 2 months. So from this point of view the game setting is perfectly logical.

My expansion on my explanations: [..]

... and other examples were for the benefit of readers without experience in Physics, since this is a forum.

[..] I don't know, but I am a fiend for arguments, I am afraid. I haven't had a good sparring partner like this in years.

Oh, ok.

I'm a good sparring partner? As you say

But I got a strong impression that you know much more than I do. May I ask what is your profession?

[EternityTide]

No profession, I'm 17, and I read a great deal. As well as that I am doing A-levels in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

[a-z-booka]

No profession, I'm 17, and I read a great deal. As well as that I am doing A-levels in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

Wow, this is impressive. I'm an informatics student. 20

[autonomous]

I have an art degree but I took an astronomy class about what makes planets suitable for life and we talk about magnetic fields generated from earths liquid metallic core (lava). Also lot's of reading. I am impressed that most of the people here get this stuff as well as they do. Most people's understanding stops around radiation is bad unless it's curing cancer.

Off topic but Mars can not sustain life because it has no liquid core, which means no magnetic field, no protection from solar radiation or winds, and solar winds have striped it's atmosphere for a few billion years leaving too thin of an atmosphere for most life.

[EternityTide]

With enough nukes, you can restart that core