Geomagnetically Induced Currents Research Articles

Geoelectric fields and geomagnetically induced currents during the April 23–24, 2023 geomagnetic storm

We present a study on the dynamical variations of geoelectric fields E during the intense geomagnetic storm of April 23–24, 2023. The storm is caused by the interplanetary counterpart of a coronal mass ejection erupted from the Sun in association with an M1.7 X-ray flare. The GeoElectric Dynamic Mapping (GEDMap) code is applied to develop spatial E maps using magnetometer data from 29 observatories distributed across northern Europe. The code has been applied during local nighttime and morningtime intense substorms which occurred during the storm main phase. The maps show intensifications and strong variability of the E-fields during the substorm events. In particular, the morningtime event is associated with a significant variability in the E-field direction. Using the computed E-fields, we determined geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) at the sub-auroral station Mäntsälä. The modeled GIC values exhibit significant correlation (correlation coefficients r=0.73−0.76\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$r=0.73-0.76$$\\end{document}) with the observed values. The performed E-field mapping provides a basis for the further determination of GICs in selected locations not covered by magnetometers and can be useful in understanding the GIC variability during magnetic storms and substorms.

Graph-GIC: A smart and parallelized geomagnetically induced current modelling algorithm based on graph theory for space weather applications

Geomagnetically Induced Current (GIC) refers to the electromagnetic response of the Earth and its conductive modern infrastructures to space weather and would pose a significant threat to high-voltage power grids designed for the alternative current operation. To assess the impact of space weather on the power grid, one needs to calculate the GIC on a national or continental scale. In this study, we developed a smart and parallelized GIC modelling algorithm, Graph GIC. This algorithm deploys a graph representing a power grid in a single-line diagram, in which substations/transformers act as nodes and transmission lines as edges. With these denotations, a power grid and its electric parameters are mathematically represented with an adjacency matrix and an admittance matrix. We used sparse matrix and parallelisation techniques to expedite the intensive computation in cases of large-scale power grids. The Graph GIC was validated with a benchmark grid, applied to the GIC calculation of the 500 kV power grid of Guangdong, China, and conducted preliminary analysis on the grid’s susceptibility to geomagnetic storms. The Graph GIC algorithm has the advantage of an intuitive and highly scalable graph representation of a power grid at any scale. It achieves high-accuracy calculation and a speedup of about 18 times after parallelisation. This algorithm could be applied to assess the impact of space weather on a power grid up to continental scales and could be incorporated into global space weather modelling frameworks.

Location of Geomagnetic Disturbances in Relation to the Field Aligned Current Boundary

AbstractGeomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) are rapid fluctuations in the strength and direction of the magnetic field near the surface of the Earth which can cause electric currents to be induced in the ground. The geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) can cause damage to pipelines and power grids. A detection algorithm has been developed to identify rapid changes in 10 s averaged magnetometer data. This higher resolution data is important in capturing the most rapid changes associated with extreme GIC events. The algorithm has been used on an array of ground‐based magnetometers from SuperMAG data from 2010 to 2022, creating a new list of global GMDs. Data from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) is used to place the observed GMDs in the context of the global pattern of magnetosphere‐ionosphere field‐aligned currents (FACs). A dawn sector population of GMDs is found to lie near the boundary between the region 1 and region 2 FACs, while a pre‐midnight sector population is found to occur poleward of the FAC boundary on region 1 upward FACs. It is also shown that the latitude of the GMDs expands with the FAC boundary and their occurrence peaks around 77° magnetic latitude.

Rapid Geomagnetic Variations During High‐Speed Stream, Sheath and Magnetic Cloud‐Driven Geomagnetic Storms From 1996 to 2023

AbstractThe most detrimental geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) documented to date have all taken place during geomagnetic storms. Yet, the probability of GICs throughout geomagnetic storms driven by different solar wind transients, such as high‐speed streams/stream interaction regions (HSS/SIR) or interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) sheaths and magnetic clouds (MC), is poorly understood. We present an algorithm to detect geomagnetic storms and storm phases, resulting in a catalog of 755 geomagnetic storms from January 1996 to June 2023 with the solar wind drivers. Using these storms and the IMAGE magnetometer network, we study the temporal and spatial evolution of spikes in the time derivative of the horizontal component of the external magnetic field, , greater than 0.5 nT/s during geomagnetic storms driven by HSS/SIR, sheaths and MCs. Spikes occur more often toward the end of the storm main phase for HSS/SIR and MC‐driven storms, while sheaths have spikes throughout the entire main phase. During the main phase most spikes occur in the morning sector around 05 magnetic local time (MLT) and the extent in MLT is narrowest for MCs and widest for sheaths. However, spikes in the pre‐midnight sector during the main and recovery phases are most prominent for HSS/SIR‐driven storms. During the storm sudden commencement (SSC), three MLT hotspots exist, the post‐midnight at 04 MLT, pre‐noon at 09 MLT and afternoon at 15 MLT. The pre‐noon hotspot has the highest probability of spikes and the widest extent in magnetic latitude.

Длиннопериодные геомагнитные пульсации как элемент воздействия космической погоды на технологические системы

We analyze variations in geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) and pulsations of the geomagnetic field latitudinal By component in the frequency range 1–20 mHz. The analysis is based on the data from GIC registration at the Kola Peninsula and magnetic data from IMAGE network stations, obtained with 10 s sampling in 2017. This allows us to include pulsations of both Pc5/Pi3 and Pc4/Pi2 frequency range in the analysis and examine polyharmonic pulsations with spectral maxima in both ranges. It is shown that GICs are effectively generated at frequencies above 5 mHz. Polyharmonic pulsations are potentially more dangerous than monoharmonic ones because the ratio of GIC to magnetic field pulsations’ amplitude is higher and the lifetime of unipolar GIC is longer.

Long-period geomagnetic pulsations as an element of the space weather influence on technologocal systems

We analyze variations in geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) and pulsations of the geomagnetic field latitudinal By component in the frequency range 1–20 mHz. The analysis is based on the data from GIC registration at the Kola Peninsula and magnetic data from IMAGE network stations, obtained with 10 s sampling in 2017. This allows us to include pulsations of both Pc5/Pi3 and Pc4/Pi2 frequency range in the analysis and examine polyharmonic pulsations with spectral maxima in both ranges. It is shown that GICs are effectively generated at frequencies above 5 mHz. Polyharmonic pulsations are potentially more dangerous than monoharmonic ones because the ratio of GIC to magnetic field pulsations’ amplitude is higher and the lifetime of unipolar GIC is longer.

Occurrence and Causes of Large dB/dt Events and AL Bays in the Pre‐Midnight and Dawn Sectors

AbstractA necessary condition for the generation of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) that can pose hazards for technological infrastructure is the occurrence of large, rapid changes in the magnetic field at the surface of the Earth. We investigate the causes of such events or “spikes” observed by SuperMAG at auroral latitudes, by comparing with the time‐series of different types of geomagnetic activity for the duration of 2010. Spikes are found to occur predominantly in the pre‐midnight and dawn sectors. We find that pre‐midnight spikes are associated with substorm onsets. Dawn sector spikes are not directly associated with substorms, but with auroral activity occurring within the westward electrojet region. Azimuthally‐spaced auroral features drift sunwards, producing Ps6 (10–20 min period) magnetic perturbations on the ground. The magnitude of is determined by the flow speed in the convection return flow region, which in turn is related to the strength of solar wind‐magnetospheric coupling. Pre‐midnight and dawn sector spikes can occur at the same time, as strong coupling favors both substorms and westward electrojet activity; however, the mechanisms that create them seem somewhat independent. The dawn auroral features share some characteristics with omega bands, but can also appear as north‐south aligned auroral streamers. We suggest that these two phenomena share a single underlying cause. The associated fluctuations in the westward electrojet produce quasi‐periodic negative excursions in the AL index, which can be mis‐identified as recurrent substorm intensifications.

Global Observations of Geomagnetically Induced Currents Caused by an Extremely Intense Density Pulse During a Coronal Mass Ejection

AbstractA variety of magnetosphere‐ionosphere current systems and waves have been linked to geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) and geomagnetically induced currents (GIC). However, since many location‐specific factors control GMD and GIC intensity, it is often unclear what mechanisms generate the largest GMD and GIC in different locations. We address this challenge through analysis of multi‐satellite measurements and globally distributed magnetometer and GIC measurements. We find embedded within the magnetic cloud of the 23–24 April 2023 coronal mass ejection (CME) storm there was a global scale density pulse lasting for 10–20 min with compression ratio of . It caused substantial dayside displacements of the bow shock and magnetopause, changes of and , respectively, which in turn caused large amplitude GMD in the magnetosphere and on the ground across a wide local time range. At the time this global GMD was observed, GIC measured in New Zealand, Finland, Canada, and the United States were observed. The GIC were comparable (within factors of 2–2.5) to the largest ever recorded during 14 year monitoring intervals in New Zealand and Finland and represented 2‐year maxima in the United States during a period with several Kp7 geomagnetic storms. Additionally, the GIC measurements in the USA and other mid‐latitude locations exhibited wave‐like fluctuations with 1–2 min period. This work suggests that large density pulses in CME should be considered an important driver of large amplitude, global GMD and among the largest GIC at mid‐latitude locations, and that sampling intervals are required to capture these GMD/GIC.

Characterizing the distribution of extreme geoelectric field events in Sweden

Historically, Sweden has reported several impacts on transformers and transmission lines related to geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) that develop during strong space weather events. GICs are driven by the geoelectric field (E), and their intensity depends on various factors, including the lithology conductivity and the rate of change of the Earth's magnetic field. The purpose of this study is to perform an extreme value analysis (EVA) of the E magnitude at six different latitudes in Sweden and to express the maximum |E| that might be observed in 10, 50 and 100 years. We analyzed 10-second E data in Sweden, which was obtained from a 1-D model. This model incorporates 10-second geomagnetic measurements from the IMAGE network and the vertical Earth's ground electrical conductivity in Sweden, extracted from a 3-D conductance map for the Fennoscandian region. Extreme E events tend to occur in clusters around geomagnetic disturbances (substorms and geomagnetic storms). Therefore, we applied two different methods to decluster the data. After declustering, Generalized Pareto (GP) distributions were fitted to the remaining extreme events that exceed the 99.5th percentile. The EVA indicates that the shape parameter of the GP distribution depends on latitude. This implies that at higher geographic latitudes (64.52-68.02°N) the distribution decreases faster toward zero than at lower latitudes (58.26-62.25°N). As a result the expected maximum |E| in 100-years in central Sweden ranges between 4.0-8.5 V/km, while at higher latitudes, it ranges between 2.0-2.5 V/km similar to the modeled geoelectric field values during the Halloween event in October 2003. In particular, around 60.50°N the distribution of extreme events exhibits the heaviest tail. When we additionally consider the effect of conductivity, the region of west Sweden around 60.50°N exhibits the largest expected maximum in 100-years with a value around 8.5 V/km. This is three times larger the maximum modeled |E| at that latitude.

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) during strong geomagnetic activity (storms, substorms, and magnetic pulsations) on 23–24 April 2023

We analyzed intense geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) recorded during a complex space weather event observed on 23–24 April 2023. Two geomagnetic storms characterized by SYM/H intensities of −179 nT and −233 nT were caused by southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz component of −25 nT in the sheath fields, and −33 nT in the magnetic cloud (MC) fields, respectively. GIC observations were divided into two local time sectors: nighttime (1700–2400 UT on 23 April) GICs observed during the interplanetary sheath magnetic storm, and morning sector (0200–0700 UT on 24 April) GICs observed during the MC magnetic storm. By using the direct measurements of GICs on several substations of Karelian-Kola power line (located in the north-west portion of Russia) and gas pipeline station near Mäntsälä (south of Finland), we managed to trace the meridional profile of GIC increases at different latitudes. It was shown that the night sector GIC intensifications (∼18–42 A) occurred in accordance with poleward expansion of the westward electrojet during a substorm. On the other hand, the intense morning sector GICs (∼12–46 A) were caused by Ps 6 magnetic pulsations. In addition, a strong local morning GIC (∼44 A) was associated with a local substorm-like disturbance caused by a high-density solar wind structure, possibly a coronal loop portion of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection.

Modeling GIC in the Southern South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand Using Magnetotelluric Data

AbstractMagnetotelluric (MT) impedances from 62 sites in southern South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand have been used to model geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in four transformers during two solar storms. Induced electric fields during the storms are calculated from the MT impedances using the magnetic fields measured at the Eyrewell (EYR) geomagnetic observatory, approximately 200 km north of the study area. Calculated GIC during the sudden storm commencements (SSC) give a generally good match to GIC measured by the network operator, Transpower New Zealand. Long period GIC (periods longer than about 10,000 s) are less well modeled. Calculations based on thin‐sheet modeling, which has restrictions on the shortest period of variation which can be modeled, perform less well for the GIC associated with SSC, but are equally good, if not better, at modeling longer period GIC. Consistent underestimation of large GIC at one transformer (HWBT4) near Dunedin are likely to be the result of uncertainty in the assumed values of line, transformer, and earthing resistances. The assumption of a spatially uniform magnetic field across the study area, which is implied by use of the magnetic field measured at EYR as a basis for calculation, may also lead to incorrect calculation of GIC. For one storm use of magnetic field data from a magnetometer within the study area leads to much improved modeling of the observed GIC. This study compares modeled and measured GIC using specifically measured MT impedance data.

Using a Differential Magnetometer Technique to Measure Geomagnetically Induced Currents: An Augmented Approach

AbstractGeoelectric fields produced by time‐varying magnetic fields during geomagnetic storms can result in potentially damaging geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in long conductors at the Earth's surface. GICs can pose a significant risk to the integrity of grounded electrical infrastructure, particularly high‐voltage transformers. In this study, an inferred GIC is calculated using an augmented differential magnetometer measurement (DMM) technique on a 500 kV transmission line in central Alberta and is validated using a proximal transformer neutral‐to‐ground (TNG) current measurement by AltaLink L.P. using a Hall probe at a transformer substation. This research outlines a custom‐built and innovative DMM design by which both DMM sensors deployed around a power line measure the background geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) field and the magnetic field generated locally by the GIC. We show how this modified approach provides two independent estimates for GIC derived using only ΔBy or ΔBz, the magnetic field components perpendicular to the line carrying GIC. Results for a geomagnetic storm on 12 Oct 2021 show contemporaneous peaks in the TNG current and the DMM‐inferred GIC. The two data sets have similar waveforms and are within the same order of magnitude. The background GMD is reconstructed using DMM and shows excellent correlation to the measured GMD at the permanent Canadian Array for Real‐time Investigations of Magnetic Activity magnetic station at Ministik Lake, approximately 48.5 km away. Based on the results presented here, we verify the added utility value of DMM for temporary deployments for assessing GIC risk in electrical power grids.

What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources

AbstractWe combine wavelet analysis and data fusion to investigate geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on the Mäntsälä pipeline and the associated horizontal geomagnetic field, BH, variations during the late main phase of the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm. The wavelet analysis decomposes the GIC and BH signals at increasing “scales” to show distinct multi‐minute spectral features around the GIC spikes. Four GIC spikes >10 A occurred while the pipeline was in the dusk sector—the first sine‐wave‐like spike at ∼16 UT was “compound.” It was followed by three “self‐similar” spikes 2 hr later. The contemporaneous multi‐resolution observations from ground‐(magnetometer, SuperMAG, SuperDARN), and space‐based (AMPERE, Two Wide‐Angle Imaging Neutral‐atom Spectrometers) platforms capture multi‐scale activity to reveal two magnetospheric modes causing the spikes. The GIC at ∼16 UT occurred in two parts with the negative spike associated with a transient sub‐auroral eastward electrojet that closed a developing partial ring current loop, whereas the positive spike developed with the arrival of the associated mesoscale flow‐channel in the auroral zone. The three spikes between 18 and 19 UT were due to bursty bulk flows (BBFs). We attribute all spikes to flow‐channel injections (substorms) of varying scales. We use previously published MHD simulations of the event to substantiate our conclusions, given the dearth of timely in‐situ satellite observations. Our results show that multi‐scale magnetosphere‐ionosphere activity that drives GICs can be understood using multi‐resolution analysis. This new framework of combining wavelet analysis with multi‐platform observations opens a research avenue for GIC investigations and other space weather impacts.

UHV AC/DC power grid geomagnetically induced currents harmonic characteristics analysis

The power grid’s geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) during geomagnetic storms, are associated with a broad and abrupt harmonic impact, with the potential for grid paralysis and extensive power outages in severe scenarios. Therefore, the harmonic characteristics of geomagnetically induced currents in China’s ultra-high voltage (UHV) AC/DC power grid are analyzed in this paper. Firstly, a harmonic equivalent model of transformer GIC is established, and the injection of harmonics into the UHV AC/DC power grid during GIC events is quantified.Secondly, a harmonic state-space model is established by combining the 12-pulse converter switching function theory with the exponential Fourier series. The harmonic transmission and dynamic coupling characteristics of GIC in the UHV AC/DC power grid are analyzed using the harmonic equivalent model of the main transformer GIC and the harmonic equivalent model of the converter transformer GIC. Finally, a harmonic simulation model of the UHV AC/DC power grid under GIC is constructed using PSCAD, and the distribution of harmonics in the UHV AC/DC power grid under GIC is calculated. The calculations indicate that with 30 A injected GIC in the sending end transformers, the 2nd harmonic current on the sending end network side alone is 61.45 A, and the 3rd harmonic voltage on the valve side is 8.57 kV. The characteristics of harmonic transmission in the power grid result in a 2nd harmonic current of 34.87 A on the receiving end network side. Simultaneously, the total harmonic distortion of the AC power grid at the sending end is 2.35 %, surpassing the permissible limit established by the national standard. Consequently, this issue should be prioritized by the relevant power authorities.

Contribution to the determination of the effect of magnetic storms on the electric power transmission system

Abstract When a magnetic storm hits a power transmission system, quasi-stationary geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) are generated in the high-voltage part of the system. These currents cause semi-saturation of the magnetic circuits of power transformers, which induces current overload in their high-voltage windings and subsequently thermal overload, which can lead to system failures. This rather complex phenomenon was described in [11] by a system of nonlinear differential equations and subsequently solved. This very challenging method is replaced in the present work by a simple approach. It allows not only predicting the imminent danger of system collapse, but gives transformer designers valuable information on how they can counteract this danger.

Spatial Resolution Requirements for FDTD Modeling of Geoelectric Fields

AbstractTo ensure the robustness of both civilian and military infrastructure, it is important to protect electric power grids, smart grids, and other electrotechnologies from known and possibly as‐of‐yet unknown space weather hazards. Space weather can generate intense geoelectric fields at the surface of the Earth, as well as large voltage gradients across long distances of the Earth. These voltage gradients can lead to geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), which are known to produce hazards to electric power grids. The finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method is a powerful and versatile method that has already been applied to the study of geoelectric fields. The advantages of FDTD over other methods are that it can account for more geometrical complexities and realistic time waveforms and that it directly solves for geoelectric fields. Snell's Law predicts that any electromagnetic waves incident on the ground should essentially propagate straight downwards into the low resistivity ground. For this reason, vertical FDTD grid resolutions of 1/3 of a skin depth were usually chosen, while the horizontal grid resolution was relaxed. We find, however, that there is another important consideration for choosing an FDTD grid resolution applied to real‐world scenarios: localized field variations due to currents generated by ground features. It turns out the grid resolution requirements are much stricter when taking this physics into account.

Prediction of high latitude nightside Geomagnetic Field Disturbances (GGFDs) during the 9-March-2012 geomagnetic storm using Recurrent Neural Network (RNN)

Geomagnetically Induced currents (GICs) pose a potentially catastrophic threat to the safety and security of large-scale power distribution systems. Using a recurrent neural network, we predict high (≥60°) magnetic latitude (MLAT) and night side (06–18) magnetic local time (MLT) geomagnetic field disturbances (surface dBs/dt and vertical dBz/dt), the trigger of GICs, during a geomagnetic storms occurred on March 09, 2012. We use the high latitude geomagnetic field data from SuperMAG and the solar wind particle and magnetic field data from NASA-OMNIWeb. We divide the high latitude night side of Earth’s globe into multiple sectors and obtain a time series of maximum geomagnetic disturbances observed in each sector. We use the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network technique sector by sector on both, the solar wind data and the sectored geomagnetic field disturbance (10° geomagnetic latitude, 1-hour MLT) time series obtained from SuperMAG. Each sector prediction is plotted on a polar map to reveal high latitude night side geomagnetic disturbance patterns. This high latitude nigh side model has great potential. With solar wind input at a Lagrangian-1 point, and geomagnetic field data from SuperMAG, it can predict the peak magnetic disturbance at any given sector for couple of hours in advance. Our machine learning techniques provide the best set of solar wind input that gives the best disturbance prediction. This paper presents a prototype of the global geomagnetic disturbance model with low-resolution spatial grids and a subset of potential solar wind input parameters. Once matured, the global magnetic disturbance model will be provided to the public.

Even‐Order Harmonic Distortion Observations During Multiple Geomagnetic Disturbances: Investigation From New Zealand

AbstractLarge geomagnetic storms are a space weather hazard to power transmission networks due to the effects of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs). GIC can negatively impact power transmission systems through the generation of even‐order current and voltage harmonics due to half‐cycle transformer saturation. This study investigates a decade of even‐order voltage total harmonic distortion (hereon referred to as Even‐Order Total Harmonic Distortion (ETHD)) observations provided by Transpower New Zealand Ltd., the national system operator. We make use of ETHD measurements at 139 locations throughout New Zealand, monitored at 377 separate circuit breakers, focusing on 10 large geomagnetic disturbances during the period 2013–2023. Analysis identified 5 key substations, which appeared to act as sources of ETHD. The majority of these substations include single phase transformer banks, and evidence of significant GIC magnitudes. The ETHD from the source substations was found to propagate into the surrounding network, with the percentage distortion typically decaying away over distances of 150–200 km locally, that is, at a rate of −0.0043 %km−1. During the study period some significant changes occurred in the power network, that is, removal of the Halfway Bush (HWB) single phase bank transformer T4 in November 2017, and decommissioning of the New Plymouth substation in December 2019. Decommissioning of these two assets resulted in less ETHD occurring in the surrounding regions during subsequent geomagnetic storms. However, ETHD still increased at HWB with increasing levels of GIC, indicating that three phase transformer units were still susceptible to saturation, albeit with about 1/3 of the ETHD percentage exhibited by single phase transformers.

Vibration characteristics of a single‐phase four‐column auto‐transformer core excited by geomagnetically induced currents

AbstractDuring geomagnetic storms, geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) occur in the power grid. GIC is a quasi‐direct current, which is represented by using a fixed DC current, the authors propose an approach that combines field‐circuit‐coupled and weakly coupled magneto‐mechanical models to investigate the magnetostriction characteristics of single‐phase, four‐column autotransformer cores excited by GICs. A non‐linear magnetostrictive constitutive model that considers the impact of stress and magnetisation intensity on ferromagnetic materials is introduced. The model reveals that the strain in the core initially increases as the magnetisation intensity increases; however, when the core begins to saturate, the magnetostrictive strain weakens as the magnetisation intensity increases. Moreover, the results of multiphysics finite‐element modelling are experimentally verified using a direct current bias platform. The results show that when excited by GICs, there is an enhancement in the vibration of the iron core, and the harmonic content of the vibration acceleration increases considerably, with the odd harmonics most significantly increasing in amplitude. The conclusion drawn is that GICs can exacerbate transformer vibration and significantly increase the content of harmonics, especially odd harmonics.

Modeling Geomagnetically Induced Currents in the Alberta Power Network: Comparison and Validation Using Hall Probe Measurements During a Magnetic Storm

AbstractDuring space weather events, geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) induce geoelectric fields which drive geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) through electrically‐grounded power transmission lines. Alberta, Canada—located near the auroral zone and thus prone to large GMDs—has a dense network of magnetometer stations and surface impedance measurements to better characterize the GMD and ground conductivity, respectively. GIC monitoring devices were recently installed at five substation transformer neutrals, providing a unique opportunity to compare data to modeled GICs. GICs are modeled across the >240 kV provincial power transmission network during a moderate GMD event on 24 April 2023. GIC monitoring devices measured larger neutral‐to‐ground currents than expected up to 117 Amps during peak storm time, providing unequivocal evidence linking network GICs with GMDs. The model performs reasonably well (correlation coefficients >0.5; performance parameter >0.15) at four of five substations, but generally underestimates peak GIC values (sometimes by a factor >2), suggesting that the present model underrepresents overall network risk. The model performs poorly at one of the five substations (correlation = 0.46; performance parameter = 0.10), the reasons for which may be due to simplifications and/or unknowns in network parameters. Despite these underestimates, during this GMD, the model predicts the largest GIC at substations located in the northeastern part of the province (240 kV) or around Edmonton (500 kV)—regions which have significant electrical and industrial infrastructure. Further refinement of the network model with transformer resistances, more line and earthing resistances, and/or including lower voltage levels is necessary to improve data fit.