Short-term effects of solar storms in phytoplankton photosynthesis

The potential short-term influence of a solar radiation storm on microalgal photosynthesis is investigated. We focus on muons from the secondary cosmic rays at sea level, given their high penetrating power. According to NOAA’s classification of solar radiation storms, two kinds of solar storms are c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astrophysics and space science 2023-02, Vol.368 (2), p.9, Article 9
Main Authors: López-Águila, Madeleine, Rodríguez-López, Lien, González-Rodríguez, Lisdelys, Cardenas, Rolando, Borges-Márquez, Javier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrobiology
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Astroparticles
Cosmic ray showers
Cosmic rays
Cosmology
Depletion
Energy
Extreme weather
Ionizing radiation
Mathematical models
Meteorological satellites
Muons
Observations and Techniques
Photosynthesis
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Phytoplankton
Radiation
Sea level
Secondary cosmic rays
Solar effects
Solar radiation
Solar storms
Space Exploration and Astronautics
Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics
Storms
Water circulation
Water column
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Summary:The potential short-term influence of a solar radiation storm on microalgal photosynthesis is investigated. We focus on muons from the secondary cosmic rays at sea level, given their high penetrating power. According to NOAA’s classification of solar radiation storms, two kinds of solar storms are considered: moderate/strong and extreme. An exponential decay of muon fluxes down the water column and a direct proportionality between their penetrating power and energy are assumed. This allows obtaining a function of ionizing radiation to be embedded in a physical-mathematical model for photosynthesis previously modified by some of us to include particulate ionizing radiation. It is shown that moderate/strong solar radiation storms can cause a short-term depletion of photosynthesis of up to 61%, while this figure scales to 75% for extreme storms.
ISSN:0004-640X
1572-946X
DOI:10.1007/s10509-023-04162-w