I am fascinated by CME's and flares, and especially the effects on Earth. Telegraph lines running without batteries, Carbon 14 deposited on Earth in tree rings. But the sequence of events, isn't quite clear to me, particularly regarding the hits to power grid and communication.
I would like some of you to review my understanding and make corrections to a fictional scenario:
A coronal hole rotates into view and days later, while facing exactly the right direction, a massive solar flare erupts. X-rays and cosmic rays are recorded hitting SOHO completely blinding it. Geiger counters and scintillators on Earth record a surge due to these rays. While not harmful at the ground, they are measurable. Hf radio propagation is knocked out for hours. Satellites are unable to relay data but most are still technically functional. GPS in daytime is knocked out. Solar telescopes on Earth record a massive flare of epic proportions accompanied by an equally epic coronal mass ejection. Projections indicate the CME will make an exact hit on Earth in a matter of hours (or days?), and is forecast to be a G6 storm. Satellites briefly regain function for a few hours (or days?) after the xrays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays(?) pass, a few are rendered inoperable from the x-rays/gamma rays flipping bits and data in their chips; the same happens to a few sensitive electronics on the ground. Power is cut to the electrical grid, power mains are grounded hastily. People are told to disconnect everything electronic from the power grid to protect them from unpredictable high current and voltage surges collected by the power grid turned into an antenna. Hours pass, and the earliest blast of protons hits SOHO and Earth orbiting satellites, knocking out image sensors permanently. The bulk of the CME hits minutes later, warping the Earth's magnetic field aggressively and inducing currents into the power grid and destroying satellite electronics. Ground fires are started from the grid, transformers explode, primary relays that are still connected are destroyed. Bolts of electricity seek ground from thrown circuit breakers bridging the air gap, arcing at the panels and damaging equipment still attached to the power grid. Unplugged electronics are ok. Geiger counters and Scintillators running off batteries detect another rise in radiation from arrival of the CME. Elevated but non-hazardous radiation from the CME is picked up from nuke sniffing military jets; spectroscopy collects radioactive particles from the CME and a rise in C14. Radiation settles at ground level days later, measurable but harmless. Power grids are destroyed for months or years depending on location. Computers can work, cars can drive, planes can fly, data that was not damaged by the xray burst and was detached from the power grid is saved (except for fires) satellites are in orbit are totally fried, except a lucky few.
Oh... And truly epic Auroras showing the speed and impact of particles passing thru Earth's magnetosphere. The best Steve(s) ever. Sky so bright you can walk around at night and see the ground from it... clearly. Well, also through the smoke from fires. Never mind the fact your house fire does a good job at producing light too.
And after that... some form of rebuilding, famine, adaptation to no electricity, just generally bad stuff, especially in cities and areas that the power transfer stations were destroyed.
Did I get the sequence right? Is the CME hitting the magnetic field that does the damage and kills the grid, or is it the flare as well? How much time would there be between these events? Days? Hours? What am I missing? CME's aren't always tied to a flare, right? They just kinda floof off a chunk of Sun. Would pilots and passengers in high altitude jets see the same radiation that astronauts see when passing thru radiation belts, from the flare, CME, or both?
