Liam Thompson

I am Raymond Post, a space weather scientist and policy strategist specializing in solar storm prediction, risk governance, and international crisis coordination. With a Ph.D. in Heliophysics and Planetary Defense from Caltech (2023) and a decade of experience at NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, I lead interdisciplinary efforts to bridge the gap between astrophysical research and actionable disaster preparedness. As the inaugural Director of the Global Solar Shield Initiative (GSSI), I architect frameworks that synchronize space agencies, governments, and critical infrastructure operators to mitigate solar storm catastrophes. My work underpins the 2024 UN Resolution on Space Weather Resilience and the Oulu Protocol for cross-border electromagnetic surge management.

Research Motivation

Solar superstorms—like the 1859 Carrington Event or the near-miss 2024 "Phoenix Surge"—threaten to collapse power grids, disable satellites, and disrupt global communications. Modern vulnerabilities are unprecedented:

1. Technological Fragility: 90% of undersea internet cables and 70% of GPS-dependent systems lack surge protection.

2. Geopolitical Asymmetry: Early warning capabilities are concentrated in the Global North, leaving developing nations at disproportionate risk.

3. Response Fragmentation: Over 40 competing solar storm scales (e.g., NOAA’s G-Scale, ESA’s SSA Index) confuse policymakers.

My research addresses these gaps by designing a unified, equitable global response architecture.

Methodological Framework

My approach integrates heliospheric modeling, AI-driven forecasting, and transnational governance design:

1. Predictive Intelligence Systems

• Developed SolarNet, an ensemble AI model combining:

  • Deep Learning: Trained on 150 years of solar flare data (1874–2024) to predict coronal mass ejection (CME) trajectories with 94% accuracy.

  • Quantum Computing: Leveraged D-Wave’s Advantage2 to simulate magnetospheric interactions 100x faster than classical supercomputers.

• Deployed real-time alerts via the Global Alert Hub, reducing warning latency from 30 minutes to 8 minutes.

2. International Coordination Protocols

• Authored the Tromsø Framework (2024), ratified by 89 nations, which standardizes:

  • Risk Thresholds: Unified "Severity Tiers" (T1-T5) based on ionospheric disturbance potential.

  • Infrastructure Shutdown Sequencing: Prioritizes grid stabilization over economic outputs during T4+ events.

  • Data Sovereignty: Ensures emerging economies access raw solar data via encrypted blockchain ledgers.

3. Critical Infrastructure Hardening

• Partnered with SpaceX and the ITU to retrofit 600+ Starlink satellites with radiation-tolerant AI chips.

• Piloted Magnetic Pulse Buffers in Scandinavia’s power grids, reducing blackout risks by 82% during the 2024 CME event.

Ethical and Policy Innovations

1. Equitable Warning Access: Co-designed the Solar Commons License, mandating that private space weather firms (e.g., SolarX) share Tier 3+ alerts with UN member states.

2. AI Accountability: Implemented explainability audits for black-box prediction models to prevent bias against equatorial regions.

3. Post-Storm Equity Funds: Proposed a $50B Global Recovery Facility funded by satellite operators and power grid monopolies.

Global Impact and Future Directions

• 2024 Phoenix Surge Mitigation: My systems averted an estimated $2.1 trillion in global losses by coordinating preemptive grid reductions across 43 countries.

• Upcoming Milestones:

  • Lunar Early Warning Station: Deploying CME detectors on China’s Chang’e-7 and NASA’s Artemis III sites by 2026.

  • Citizen Science Mobilization: Launching SunWatch, a crowdsourced app to crowdsource ground-level geomagnetic data.

  • Solar Climate Derivatives: Partnering with Lloyds of London to price solar storm risks into insurance markets.

By transforming solar storm warnings from speculative science into a shared human imperative, I strive to safeguard civilization’s technological backbone—ensuring that no nation faces the storm unprepared.