ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEAgenda • Definition • Damage • Likelihood • Detection • Preparation • Afterward • Summary

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • Nuclear bomb • High altitude • Three waves • Solar flare • Non-nuclear

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • Nuclear bomb • Radiation burst: neutrons and gamma waves • Blast: shock wave and thermal wave • Electromagnetic pulse that can damage electronic and electrical devices • Caused by gamma radiation interacting with upper atmosphere

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • High altitude • Interaction in upper atmosphere from 12-25 miles altitude • Higher altitude burst creates larger circle of interaction in upper atmosphere • Altitude of 250+ miles creates EMP that covers the entire continental US

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • Three waves • E1: lasts 1 microsecond, extends across all frequencies • E2: lasts 1 second, similar to lighting strike surges • E3: lasts many seconds, low frequency, long wavelength

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • Solar flare • E-3 component only

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDefinition • Non-nuclear • Devices that can create local EMP-like effects • Limited in range and power compared to nuclear and solar events • May become useful in warfare because of limited scope

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Delicate electronics • All electronics and electrical devices • Long antennas • Infrastructure • Ripple effects

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • E-1: Delicate electronics • Fragile chips and circuits can be burned out • Includes: computers, smart phones, process controllers, solid state radios, LEDs, solar panels, chargers, modern car ignition systems, surge suppressors • May not include: older vacuum tube radios, older car ignition systems, batteries

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • E-2: All electronics and electrical devices • Since the E-1 wave can destroy surge suppressors before they activate, they will likely be unavailable to protect during the E-2 wave

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • E-3: Long antennas • Long power lines, electrical cables, communication cables, even railroad rails, any conductor long enough to absorb the long waveform • Will induce currents that can melt lines and cause fires • Likely to destroy many large transformers in power grid

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Infrastructure • Electric power grid • Likely to be 100% incapacitated, big questions about repair time frames • Water supply • Pumping stations – depend upon electric supply, can use temporary/portable generators if they are available • Water treatment plants – depend upon electric supply, too big to use portable generators, will be down until the grid is restored

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Infrastructure • Communications – most unprotected systems will be down, those with shielding may survive – shielded spares may enable repairs • Transportation – older cars, trucks, locomotives and boats may survive - newer cars, trucks, locomotives and boats may be disabled temporarily or permanently - accidents will congest roads, control systems will be disabled and may take a long time to repair

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Ripple effects • Repair and replace • Extreme parts shortage of what is most needed, limited distribution capability, no short term manufacturing capability • Distribution • Limited by nearly non-existent transportation, fuel supply and communications • Manufacturing • Limited by lack of power, workers, communications, transportation, control systems

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Ripple effects • Agriculture • Crippled by lack of water, equipment, workers, transportation, communication, power – refrigeration, storage and distribution will be non-existent • Financial transactions • Crippled by lack of power, computer systems, communications, workers

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDamage • Ripple effects • Aid: there will be no help coming from anybody since the entire nation will be affected • Repair and recovery will be extremely slow, possibly taking many years to restore normality • Anticipated population death rates: • 25% in two weeks • 50% in one month • 75% in ninety days

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSELikelihood • HEMP (High altitude EMP) • Solar Flare

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSELikelihood • HEMP (High altitude EMP) • Motive • Cripple most US infrastructure without warfare • Can be done “anonymously” without retaliation • Means • Moderate sized nuclear warhead • 500 kiloton bomb (fission weapon) • Missile capable of reaching 300 miles altitude • Scud-D, Shahab-3, Nodong, Taepodong-1+2 • Launch from ship, balloon, satellite, inside the US

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSELikelihood • HEMP (High altitude EMP) • Opportunity • Get a delivery system into position without detection (either inside the US or near a border) • 5 minutes flight time from ground to 250 miles altitude • OUTBOUND trajectory implications • Defensive missiles can't react in enough time • Hesitation in decision making

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSELikelihood • Solar flare • 100% probability – flares occur frequently, but most do not impact us • Unknown timing – cannot reliably predict flare timing • Unknown power level – depends on size of the flare and how directly it impacts Earth • We do get some warning: often days, at least hours

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDetection • Simple observation • Scientific evidence

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDetection • Simple observation • Power outage • Most communications fail • Things not connected to power fail - battery operated devices like laptops, LED flashlights, radios, phones • Car and truck ignition systems may fail

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEDetection • Scientific evidence • Sensors will record event until they are disabled but the data is not likely to be available • Only military hardened systems will stay up • Emergency radio broadcast may or may not be practical to spread the word

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEPreparation • Knowledge • Faraday shielding • Spare parts • Emergency preparation

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEPreparation • Knowledge • Basic knowledge about EMP • Preparedness knowledge

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEPreparation • Faraday shielding • Metallic surrounding with no gaps • Insulation from metal • Grounding is controversial • Simplest method: • Wrap objects in insulating layer (plastic) • Wrap objects in foil • Place wrapped objects inside metal container that can be tightly sealed with metal to metal contact

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEPreparation • Spare parts • Radios • Power generation • Generator spare parts • Solar panel, charge controller, inverter • Battery chargers • Ignition systems • LED lights • Data access – DVD reader

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEPreparation • Emergency preparation • Water storage, collection and purification • Food storage, foraging, hunting, gardening, raising livestock • Defense planning and equipment • Medical supplies and knowledge • Community networking

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEAfterward • Rapid knowledge sharing • Key knowledge points to distribute • Collective effort

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEAfterward • Rapid knowledge sharing • Most neighbors will have 2-3 days water and 5-10 days food • Tell everybody to fill bathtubs and other containers before the water pressure fails (avg bathtub = 50 gallons) • Inventory resources (water, food, tools, seeds...) • Begin food production efforts immediately

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEAfterward • Key knowledge points to distribute • Fill tubs and collect rainwater • Maintain water discipline (flushing, bathing) • Water purification methods • Food production methods • Need for cooperation and planning

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSEAfterward • Collective effort • Water collection, storage and purification • Food production: fish, rabbits, chickens, gardens, foraging, hunting, storing • Defense plan for neighborhood, shared resources • Communications – alert system, sharing information, planning • Medical supplies and knowledge will become premium

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSESummary • EMP is dangerous • EMP is likely • EMP damage tests a full range of preparedness and may be widespread • Knowledge is critical • Fast reactions can save lives • Store water

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSESummary • References • http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm • http://www.futurescience.com/emp.html • http://www.empcommission.org/

ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PULSE