On Thursday, NASA said that a new computer model using AI and agency satellite data might aid in preparing for hazardous space weather.
DAGGER (Deep Learning Geomagnetic Perturbation) is a model that employs the technology to evaluate data collected by spacecraft in order to predict where on Earth a solar storm would have the most impact up to 30 minutes in advance.
Researchers from around the world working together at the Frontier Development Lab have claimed that their model can make predictions in under a second, with updates occurring once every minute.
NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Energy are all collaborators in this laboratory.
The researchers utilized artificial intelligence to try to find correlations between the solar wind and geomagnetic disruptions; specifically, they employed a technique called “deep learning,” which teaches computers to spot patterns based on examples.
DAGGER was put to the test against two earlier geomagnetic storms, in August 2011 and March 2015, and it passed with flying colors, properly predicting the effects of both storms.
NASA claims that DAGGER is the first model to combine artificial intelligence (AI) with actual observations in order to make frequent and accurate forecasts on a global scale. Earlier, models have employed AI to forecast for specific places.
“With this AI, it is now possible to make rapid and accurate global predictions and inform decisions in the event of a solar storm, thereby minimizing – or even preventing – devastation to modern society,” Lead author of a report on the DAGGER model published in Space Weather, Vishal Upendran of India’s Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, said as much in a statement.
He mentioned that the DAGGER model’s code is freely available, meaning that power grid operators, satellite controllers, and telecommunications corporations may all use the model’s forecasts for their own purposes.
A solar storm siren might one day be installed in every power plant and satellite control center in the globe, according to NASA, and this would give people plenty of time to prepare for the storms and avoid any damage to power networks or important infrastructure.
Geomagnetic storms, which can range from moderate to severe, are caused when solar wind escapes the sun and collides with Earth’s magnetic environment.
In 1859, the most powerful solar storm on record caused fires at telegraph installations, disrupting communication.