Solar Activity Could Interfere with GPS Signals

BBC News reports that over the next couple of years, the Sun will reach its period of maximum activity and solar flares will be at their highest point in years. It has made some scientists worried that GPS signals will be interfered with in a way that could cause minor issues for some GPS users. The researchers point out that the military uses a much more complex GPS system than consumers have access to and military use of GPS should not be affected.

When solar activity reaches its peak is that the low-power GPS signals the navigation device in a car relies on for positioning information won't be able to pick the GPS signal from orbiting satellites due to radiation from solar flares. Ultimately, GPS receivers in consumer devices may be blinded for tens of minutes a few times a year when the sun is at maximum activity.

Throwing another issue into the mix for GPS receivers is that the ionosphere changes in composition depending on the amount of solar radiation hitting it and can lengthen the time it takes GPS signals to make it to the ground adding more of a chance of errors for GPS devices.

Professor Cathryn Mitchell, University of Bath, said, "We can look at the measurements from the last solar maximum. If we project those forward, it varies quite a lot across the Earth; looking at the UK it will be about 10-meter errors in the positioning."

Scientists at Cornell University warned about the potential for adverse effects on GPS systems caused by solar flares in 2006. They warned that the effects could have big problems for emergency services that rely on GPS.