Geomagnetically Induced Currents Research Articles

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.

Geoelectric Field Estimations During Geomagnetic Storm in North China From SinoProbe Magnetotelluric Impedances

AbstractEvaluating the impact of geomagnetic disturbances on power grid infrastructure is critical to mitigate the risk posed by geomagnetically induced currents (GICs). In this paper, the geoelectric field and induced voltage distribution in North China were estimated from the SinoProbe magnetotelluric (MT) impedance data together with the geomagnetic observatory data of six INTERMAGNET stations recorded during the significant geomagnetic storm of 17th March 2015. The measured impedances from 119 SinoProbe MT sites were convolved with geomagnetic observatory data to account for the Earth's complex three‐dimensional electrical resistivity structure. The resultant geoelectric field was then used to model the induced voltage distribution across the regional power transmission network in North China. Due to the large inter‐site distances of the SinoProbe MT program, the derived geoelectric field is mostly homogeneous, except in the Ordos Basin that displays a polarization of the geoelectric field, and with higher magnitudes in the orogenic belts. The estimated geoelectric fields in Taihang‐Lvliang, Yanshan, and Luxi orogenic belts of North China were large (>1 V/km) during the storm, due to high‐resistivity lithosphere resulting in large voltage gradients in the Earth. However, in relation to locations of major power transmission lines, only the central part of North China experienced induced voltages exceeding 100 V.

Geomagnetic Disturbances Due To Neutral‐Wind‐Driven Ionospheric Currents

AbstractPrevious simulation efforts on geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) and geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) mostly rely on global magnetohydrodynamics models, which explicitly calculate the magnetospheric currents and carry certain assumptions about the ionosphere currents. Therefore, the role of ionospheric and thermospheric processes to GMDs has not been fully evaluated. In this study, Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model simulations for an idealized storm event have been conducted. Simply, the high‐latitude electrodynamic forcing (potential pattern and particle precipitation) has been specified by empirical models. GMDs due to neutral‐wind driven currents have been compared to those caused by magnetospheric convection driven currents during both the main and recovery phases. At locations where the high‐latitude electric potential is dominant, neutral‐wind driven currents are found to contribute to about 10%–30% of the total GMDs. During the recovery phase when the ion‐convection pattern retreats to high latitudes, neutral‐wind driven currents become the primary sources for GMDs at middle latitudes on the dayside due to the “flywheel” effect and the large dayside conductance. Our result strongly suggests that ionospheric and thermospheric processes should not be neglected when estimating GMDs and therefore GICs.

Substorm‐Time Ground dB/dt Variations Controlled by Interplanetary Shock Impact Angles: A Statistical Study

AbstractIn this study, we investigate the effects caused by interplanetary (IP) shock impact angles on the subsequent ground dB/dt variations during substorms. IP shock impact angles have been revealed as a major factor controlling the subsequent geomagnetic activity, meaning that shocks with small inclinations with the Sun‐Earth line are more likely to trigger higher geomagnetic activity resulting from nearly symmetric magnetospheric compressions. Such field variations are linked to the generation of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), which couple to artificial conductors on the ground leading to deleterious consequences. We use a sub‐set of a shock data base with 237 events observed in the solar wind at L1 upstream of the Earth, and large arrays of ground magnetometers at stations located in North America and Greenland. The spherical elementary current system methodology is applied to the geomagnetic field data, and field‐aligned‐like currents in the ionosphere are derived. Then, such currents are inverted back to the ground and dB/dt variations are computed. Geographic maps are built with these field variations as a function of shock impact angles. The main findings of this investigation are: (a) typical dB/dt variations (5–10 nT/s) are caused by shocks with moderate inclinations; (b) the more frontal the shock impact, the more intense and the more spatially defined the ionospheric current amplitudes; and (c) nearly frontal shocks trigger more intense dB/dt variations with larger equatorward latitudinal expansions. Therefore, the findings of this work provide new insights for GIC forecasting focusing on nearly frontal shock impacts on the magnetosphere.

Validating a UK Geomagnetically Induced Current Model Using Differential Magnetometer Measurements

AbstractExtreme space weather can damage ground‐based infrastructure such as power lines, railways and gas pipelines through geomagnetically induced currents (GICs). Modeling GICs requires knowledge about the source magnetic field and the electrical conductivity structure of the Earth to calculate ground electric fields during enhanced geomagnetic activity. The electric field, in combination with detailed information about the power grid topology, enable the modeling of GICs in high‐voltage (HV) power lines. Directly monitoring GICs in substations is possible with a Hall probe, but scarcely realized in the UK. Therefore we deployed the differential magnetometer method (DMM) to measure GICs at 12 sites in the UK power grid. The DMM includes the installation of two fluxgate magnetometers, one directly under a power line affected by GICs, and one as a remote site. The difference in recordings of the magnetic field at each instrument yields an estimate of the GICs in the respective power line segment via the Biot‐Savart law. We collected data across the UK in 2018–2022, monitoring HV line segments where previous research indicated high GIC risk. We recorded magnetometer data during several smaller storms that allow detailed analysis of our GIC model. For the ground electric field computations we used recent magnetotelluric (MT) measurements recorded close to the DMM sites. Our results show that there is strong agreement in both amplitude and signal shape between measured and modeled line and substation GICs when using our HV model and the realistic electric field estimates derived from MT data.

Mapping Geoelectric Field Hazards in Ireland

AbstractGeoelectric fields are generated at the Earth's surface and can lead to the induction of hazardous geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in infrastructure like power grids, railways and pipelines during geomagnetic storms. Magnitude and orientation of the geoelectric fields, in relation to the infrastructure, are key features needed to determine the intensity of GIC. Here, we developed the first geoelectric hazard map for the island of Ireland, with the aim of providing detailed information that can help stakeholders mitigate the impact of GICs. The hazard map was developed by modeling and mapping the geoelectric field across Ireland for 28 years (1991–2018) using magnetic field data with magnetotelluric transfer functions. The approach for developing the hazard map calculates the probability of exceeding a hazardous geoelectric field threshold (500 mV/km) during large geomagnetic storms, taking directionality and amplitude into account. We found hazardous geoelectric fields to be mostly localized in areas in the west, south‐west and northern coast. We observed that the geoelectric field have a stronger dominant orientation than the orientation of the geomagnetic field, often constraining the hazardous geoelectric field in particular directions only. We demonstrate a seasonal/diurnal effect is present in the geoelectric field time series. The impact of galvanic distortion was also assessed, and we demonstrate that there is a significant difference in terms of amplitude and direction between both models.

A Deep Learning Approach for the Automated Classification of Geomagnetically Induced Current Scalograms

During geomagnetic storms, which are a result of solar wind’s interaction with the Earth’s magnetosphere, geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) begin to flow in the long, high-voltage electrical networks on the Earth’s surface. It causes a number of negative phenomena that affect the normal operation of the entire electric power system. To investigate the nature of the phenomenon and its effects on transformers, a GIC monitoring system was created in 2011. The system consists of devices that are installed in the neutrals of autotransformers at five substations of the Kola–Karelian power transit in northwestern Russia. Considering the significant amount of data accumulated over 12 years of operating the GIC monitoring system, manual analysis becomes impractical. To analyze the constantly growing volume of recorded data effectively, a method for the automatic classification of GICs in autotransformer neutrals was proposed. The method is based on a continuous wavelet transform of the neutral current data combined with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify the obtained scalogram images. The classifier’s performance is evaluated using accuracy and binary cross-entropy loss metrics. As the result of comparing four CNN architectures, a model that showed high GIC classification performance on the validation set was chosen as the final model. The proposed CNN model, in addition to the main layers, includes pre-processing layers and a dropout layer.

Analysis of harmonic characteristics of UHV AC / DC power network considering the influence of geomagnetic storm

The resultant harmonic effect of geomagnetically induced current (GIC) caused by geomagnetic storm has an impact on the safe and reliable operation of ultra-high voltage (UHV) AC / DC power grid in China, which in severe cases may lead to power grid breakdown or even large-scale blackout. Firstly, the harmonic effect model of converter transformer under the action of GIC is established based on the GIC calculation results of China's UHV power grid during the super-geomagnetic storm in November 2004. The harmonic voltage of transformer equivalent model port is described in phasor form. Secondly, the characteristic harmonic model of the converter is established based on the switching function modulation theory. By analyzing the working principle of the equivalent circuit of 12-pulse rectifier, the harmonic coupling model between DC magnetic bias harmonic voltage of transformer and converter is established, and the harmonic coupling characteristics of AC / DC power network under the action of GIC are analyzed. Lastly, the simulation model of ±800 kV UHV AC / DC transmission system in China is built by using PSCAD/EMTDC software as the simulation platform. The non-characteristic harmonic current and voltage on the AC side and DC side of the AC / DC power grid are calculated. The results show that the harm caused by GIC invading converter transformer is more serious than that caused by GIC invading UHV transformer. When both of them are invaded by GIC, the non-characteristic harmonics generated by mutual superposition and coupling have a greater impact on the power grid. The research results of this paper can provide a theoretical basis for space disaster prevention of UHV AC / DC power grid in China.

Sudden Commencements and Geomagnetically Induced Currents in New Zealand: Correlations and Dependance

AbstractChanges in the Earth's geomagnetic field induce geoelectric fields in the solid Earth. These electric fields drive Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) in grounded, conducting infrastructure. These GICs can damage or degrade equipment if they are sufficiently intense—understanding and forecasting them is of critical importance. One of the key magnetospheric phenomena are Sudden Commencements (SCs). To examine the potential impact of SCs we evaluate the correlation between the measured maximum GICs and rate of change of the magnetic field (H′) in 75 power grid transformers across New Zealand between 2001 and 2020. The maximum observed H′ and GIC correlate well, with correlation coefficients (r2) around 0.7. We investigate the gradient of the relationship between H′ and GIC, finding a hot spot close to Dunedin: where a given H′ will drive the largest relative current (0.5 A nT−1 min). We observe strong intralocation variability, with the gradients varying by a factor of two or more at adjacent transformers. We find that GICs are (on average) greater if they are related to: (a) Storm Sudden Commencements (SSCs; 27% larger than Sudden Impulses, SIs); (b) SCs while New Zealand is on the dayside of the Earth (27% larger than the nightside); and (c) SCs with a predominantly East‐West magnetic field change (14% larger than North‐South equivalents). These results are attributed to the geology of New Zealand and the geometry of the power network. We extrapolate to find that transformers near Dunedin would see 2000 A or more during a theoretical extreme SC (H′ = 4000 nT min−1).

Extreme Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) Observed in Eastern Arctic Canada: Occurrence Characteristics and Solar Cycle Dependence

AbstractExtreme (>20 nT/s) geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs, also denoted as MPEs—magnetic perturbation events)—impulsive nighttime disturbances with time scale ∼5–10 min, have sufficient amplitude to cause bursts of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) that can damage technical infrastructure. In this study, we present occurrence statistics for extreme GMD events from five stations in the MACCS and AUTUMNX magnetometer arrays in Arctic Canada at magnetic latitudes ranging from 65° to 75°. We report all large (≥6 nT/s) and extreme GMDs from these stations from 2011 through 2022 to analyze variations of GMD activity over a full solar cycle and compare them to those found in three earlier studies. GMD activity between 2011 and 2022 did not closely follow the sunspot cycle, but instead was lowest during its rising phase and maximum (2011–2014) and highest during the early declining phase (2015–2017). Most of these GMDs, especially the most extreme, were associated with high‐speed solar wind streams (Vsw >600 km/s) and steady solar wind pressure. All extreme GMDs occurred within 80 min after substorm onsets, but few within 5 min. Multistation data often revealed a poleward progression of GMDs, consistent with a tailward retreat of the magnetotail reconnection region. These observations indicate that extreme GIC hazard conditions can occur for a variety of solar wind drivers and geomagnetic conditions, not only for fast‐coronal mass ejection driven storms.

Occurrence of Large Geomagnetically Induced Currents Within the EPRI SUNBURST Monitoring Network

AbstractSpace weather, a natural hazard, can adversely impact human technological assets. High‐voltage electric power transmission grids constitute one of the most critical technological systems vulnerable to space weather driven geomagnetically induced currents (GICs). One of the major challenges pertaining to the study of GICs over the continental United States has been the availability of GIC measurements, which are critical for validation of geoelectric field and power flow models, for example. In this study, we analyze GIC measurements collected at 17 Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) SUNBURST transformer locations across the United States for which a GIC value of 10 A or greater was recorded. This data set includes 52 individual geomagnetic storms with Kp index 6 and above during the period from 2010 to 2021. The analysis confirms that there is a good correlation between the number of geomagnetic storms per year and the number of recorded GIC events. Our results also show that about 76% of the top 17 GIC events are associated with the storm main phase, while only 24% are attributed to storm sudden commencements. In addition, it is shown, for the first time, that mid‐latitude positive bays can cause large GICs over the continental United States. Finally, this study shows that the largest measured GIC event in the data set was associated with a localized intense dB/dt structure, which could be attributed to substorm activity.

Estimating Geomagnetically Induced Currents in High‐Voltage Power Lines for the Territory of Kazakhstan

AbstractExtreme solar events, such as powerful solar flares are accompanied by the release of strong solar disturbances, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The impact of CMEs on the Earth's magnetosphere causes geomagnetic storms, which trigger geomagnetic effects measurable in the ionosphere, upper atmosphere, and on and in the ground. During extreme cases, rapidly changing geomagnetic fields generate intense geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), which can cause dramatic effects on man‐made technological systems, including transmission lines and pipelines. In countries with large territories such as Kazakhstan, long power lines contribute to high values of induced currents during periods of extreme geoeffective solar events. It is of interest to estimate the values of GICs in an extensive network of power lines on the territory of Kazakhstan. However, there are no estimations of induced currents in power lines in Kazakhstan, and most estimation techniques are made difficult because of absence of field measurements of Earth conductivity. This study aims to model geoelectric fields on the surface of the Earth for Kazakhstan and to estimate the values of the GICs in 500 kV power lines. This study also compares between two methods for calculating induced voltages in power lines: one based on linear paths and the other based on curvilinear paths between substations of transmission power lines.

Modeling and Evaluating Power Grid Resilience Under Extreme Space Weather

AbstractThe geomagnetically induced current (GIC) produced during extreme geomagnetic storms can easily lead to large‐scale blackouts in China due to the increase in the scale of its electric power grid. A power grid's resilience is its capability to resist various natural hazards, withstand primary failures, and quickly resume normal operation. To avoid power grid damages, this study developed a resilient power grid, incorporating failure, power flow calculation and recovery models under a uniform induced geoelectric field. We chose a system's performance loss as the resilience evaluation indicator, which intuitively reflected a system's loss under GIC. In addition, the recovery model was optimized using a genetic algorithm, and two resilience improvement measures were proposed. The IEEE‐RTS‐79 system, consisting of 10 generators, 24 buses and 5 transformers, was chosen as an example to verify the feasibility of this study. The results show that the genetic algorithm and optimization measures effectively enhanced the system's resilience indicator and provided a reference for preventing system damages under GIC and quick recovery after possible failures.

Mitigating the impacts of geomagnetic disturbances on the small signal stability

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) caused by geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) flow through the transformers, which lead to the increase of reactive power loss (QGIC). As reactive loads added to the system, QGIC causes the change of power flow distribution, which connects GMDs with small signal stability. Installing blocking devices (BDs) in the neutral points can reduce the negative effects on the grids. Obtaining the best effect is challenging, because the amplitude and direction of induced geoelectric fields (IGFs) are uncertain and non-stationary. Taking the credibility of damping ratio less than 0.05 as an index, the impact of GMDs on small signal stability is quantitatively evaluated. It is found that when intense GMDs occur, the risk of small signal instability increases significantly. Based on the voltage/damping ratio sensitivity joint feature space, the sensitivity scenario is obtained through scenario clustering. Moreover, upon optimal placement of BDs based on joint sensitivity (JS) scenarios, it is observed that the risk index can be significantly reduced compared to that in constant induced geoelectric fields (CIGF) and varying induced geoelectric fields (VIGF) scenarios.

Comparison of different geoelectric field methods to calculate geomagnetically induced currents in North China

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are caused by the interaction between the geomagnetic storm and the Earth's conductivity structure, which can enter the power grid and cause blackouts in extreme cases. To avoid significant economic losses, it is essential to correctly estimate the intensity of GICs first and then take corresponding protection measures to the power grid. There are many methods to carry out this estimation, of which the results can be very different. To evaluate these differences, four estimates of GICs for the 1000-kV grid in North China were compared during the geomagnetic storms that occurred from November 7 to 9, 2004, based on the conductivity models and magnetotelluric (MT) data from previous studies. These four estimations include using field MT data (data-space method), a one-dimensional (1D) conductivity model (1D model-space method), and two 3D conductivity models (3D model-space method) in the same area from different research teams. In consideration of the complex topology of the power system and the interactions between different power lines, the estimation using field MT data obtains the highest accuracy. Those using the 3D conductivity models rank the second and the one using the 1D conductivity model ranks the third. Among all, the data-space method is sensitive to the so-called corner effect in some transformers, which infers that this method provides the most correct ground current path information. The crustal structures of the two 3D conductivity models are slightly different. This slight difference does not bring any troubles to the final geophysical purpose but leads to a butterfly effect in the estimation of GICs, causing the difference between the estimation results based on the two models to an extreme value of 267.2 A. Based on the statistical analysis of the maximum intensity and duration of GICs in 20 substations, we believe that the GICs of the North China 1000-kV power grid have reached a very high-risk level, and the assessment results are 2 ∼ 3 times higher than other Kp = 8 geomagnetic storm events. Previous studies have shown that there are four conductors in the North China region, namely C1, C2, C3, and C4. After analyzing these conductors, we have concluded that C3 and C4 have a greater impact on the geoelectric field and GICs. Ultimately, it has furnished advantageous guidance for the installation of GICs monitoring apparatus and the discernment of optimal substation siting.

Three principal components describe the spatiotemporal development of mesoscale ionospheric equivalent currents around substorm onsets

Abstract. Substorms are a commonly occurring but insufficiently understood form of dynamics in the coupled magnetosphere–ionosphere system, associated with space weather disturbances and auroras. We have used principal component analysis (PCA) to characterize the spatiotemporal development of ionospheric equivalent currents as observed by the International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects (IMAGE) magnetometers during 28 substorm onsets identified by Frey et al. (2004). Auroral observations were provided by all-sky cameras. We found that the equivalent currents can typically be described by three components: a channel of poleward equivalent current (wedgelet), a westward electrojet (WEJ) associated with an auroral arc, and a vortex. The WEJ and vortex are located at the equatorward end of the channel, which has been associated with bursty bulk flows (BBFs) by previous studies. Depending on its polarity, the vortex either indents the WEJ and arc equatorward or bulges the WEJ poleward while winding the arc into an auroral spiral. In addition, there may be a background current system associated with the large-scale convection. The dynamics of the WEJ, vortex, and channel can describe up to 95 % of the variance of the time derivative of the equivalent currents during the examined 20 min interval. Rapid geomagnetic variations at the substorm onset location, which can drive geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in technological conductor networks, are mainly associated with the oscillations of the WEJ, which may be driven by oscillations of the transition region between dipolar and tail-like field lines in the magnetotail due to the BBF impact. The results contribute to the understanding of substorm physics and to the understanding of processes that drive intense GICs.

AusLAMP shines a light on space weather hazards in the Australian high-voltage power grid

A geomagnetic storm, also known as a geomagnetic disturbance (GMD), is a major disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar activity. A geomagnetic storm induces electric currents in the Earth that feed into power lines through substation neutral earthing, causing instabilities and even blackouts in electricity transmission systems. The intensity of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) is closely associated with the electrical conductivity of the surrounding geology. In this paper, we analyse one of the most well-known geomagnetic storms, the 1989 “Québec storm” and 688 magnetotelluric (MT) survey sites from the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) to gain insight into the space weather hazard posed for Australia's modern-day power grids. Transmission lines may exhibit local maxima at differing times depending on their spatial orientation and length with respect to the time-varying magnetic field. Localised peak voltages over 100 V can be observed on some individual lines. This assessment identifies the distribution of GICs in south-eastern Australia for the 1989 Québec storm and transmission lines that are more vulnerable to GICs. It is relevant to national strategies and risk assessment procedures to mitigate space weather hazards in the Australian high-voltage power grid and the design of a more resilient power transmission system. We also analyse the 2015 “St Patrick’s Day storm” to study under-estimation of the space weather hazard associated with the band-limited geomagnetic data and MT data sets. Key points The subsurface geology has a great influence on the intensity of geomagnetically induced electric fields, potentially causing up to three orders of magnitude difference between conductive basins and resistive cratonic regions in south-eastern Australia. Analysis using the 1989 “Québec geomagnetic storm” and AusLAMP magnetotelluric data shows the intensity of the geoelectric fields in south-eastern Australia could reach up to 5 [V/km]. Geomagnetically induced voltages in the Australian high-voltage power grid could be in excess of 100 V in some transmission lines for a geomagnetic storm with intensity comparable with the 1989 Québec geomagnetic storm.

Review of Geomagnetically Induced Current Proxies in Mid-Latitude European Countries

The Quebec blackout on 13 March 1989, has made geomagnetically induced current (GIC) research a socially important field of study. It is widely recognized that the effects of space weather, which may affect the power infrastructure, threaten countries located at high latitudes. However, in recent years, various studies have shown that countries at lower latitudes may also be at risk. One of the best proxies of GIC variability is the local geoelectric field, as measured in Eskdalemuir, Lerwick, and Hartland, by the British Geological Survey or modeled using, e.g., a 1D layered Earth conductivity model. In our article, we present a review of the issues related to the impact of the GIC on transformers and transmission lines in Central and Southern European countries, from Greece, Spain, and Italy to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland. The review underlines the importance of the systematic collection of information about power grid failures and the need for further systematic studies of the GIC’s impact on the operation of power grids in mid-latitude countries.