The threat of a massive electromagnetic pulse caused by a large burst of plasma on the Sun's surface disabling electrical infrastructure has existed for as long as any kind of electrical infrastructure has been in place. But a new set of "electromagnetic threats" has recently arisen, warns John Kappenman, owner of Storm Analysis Consultants.

Kappenman delivered a keynote at Tuesday's DatacenterDynamics conference in Washington, D.C., warning data center operators about the risks associated with electromagnetic infrastructure disruptions whose potential sources have recently multiplied.

"There's a nuclear electromagnetic threat that you need to be informed on," Kappenman said to an audience of data center professionals. The other new threat comes from non-nuclear devices designed specifically for creating electromagnetic pulses capable of putting electrical equipment out of order.

The nuclear threat is an electromagnetic pulse created by a nuclear explosion. Such an explosion can damage electrical systems from distances as great as about 1,000 miles.

In US, this data came out of a high-altitude nuclear test the government conducted in 1962 called Starfish Prime, Kappenman said. The test involved detonation of a thermonuclear warhead 250 miles above a point near Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean.

The electromagnetic pulse Starfish Prime created reached as far as Hawaii, located about 900 miles away. In Hawaii, the pulse killed about 300 streetlights, set off many burglar alarms and damaged a telco microwave link, disabling telephone service between Kauai and other islands.

The threat of non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse is much newer than nuclear. Citing Advanced Fusion Systems, Kappenman said a number of non-nuclear devices capable of generating "extremely powerful" electromagnetic pulses have been demonstrated.

Some of these devices are capable of "punching" electromagnetic signals through well shielded rooms, according to AFS, which has conducted tests of such devices together with the US Army. This means conventional shielding does not necessarily work as protection against some electromagnetic weapons.

Last but not least is the threat of a solar storm causing a disruption that can potentially be global in scale. According to AFS, power grids are an infrastructure type that is most vulnerable to such geomagnetic disruptions.

A geomagnetically induced current (GIC) disrupts normal alternating-current performance and overheats large transformers and generators, damaging the grid. Only a minor such event in northern Canada in 1989 lead to a complete blackout in the Province of Quebec and other damage reaching as far south as New Jersey.

As far as data centers are concerned, in addition to disrupting the power grid, such an event can also disrupt undersea fiber-optic cabling systems. These systems depend on electrically powered repeaters submerged in Oceans together with the cables, whose power sources can be put out of order by a strong electromagnetic pulse.

While avoiding making a prediction of exactly when to expect the next such event, Kappenman said it would definitely happen in the future. "It will occur again," he said, adding that very little was known about frequency of these events.

"The reality is we do not have a long-term data record of geomagnetic activity," Kappenman said. "It's a bit like playing Russian Roulette with the Sun."

Despite evidence that such events have taken place several times, little is done to protect the US electrical grid, according to AFS. The company says the subject is currently a political "hot potato".

AFS has developed technology it says can help protect the electrical grid against electromagnetic threats. The company is currently completing a large manufacturing facility it plans to use to produce such protective equipment.

Correction: This article has been corrected. A previous version identified a company called Pax River as AFS subsidiary. Pax River is not a subsidiary of AFS. DatacenterDynamics regrets the error.