Estimating the effect of geomagnetic disturbances on infrastructure is an important problem since they can induce damaging currents in electric power transmission lines. In this study, an array of magnetotelluric (MT) impedance measurements in Alberta and southeastern British Columbia are used to estimate the geoelectric field resulting from a magnetic storm on September 8, 2017. The resulting geoelectric field is compared to the geoelectric field calculated using the more common method involving a piecewise-continuous 1-D conductivity model. The 1-D model assumes horizontal layers, which result in orthogonal induced electric fields while the empirical MT impedance data account for fully 3-D electromagnetic induction. The geoelectric field derived from empirical MT impedance data demonstrates a preferential polarization in southern Alberta, and the geoelectric field magnitude is largest in northeastern Alberta where resistive Canadian Shield outcrops. The induced voltage in the Alberta transmission network is estimated to be ~120 V larger in northeastern Alberta when using the empirical MT impedances compared to the piecewise-continuous 1-D model. Transmission lines oriented northwest-southeast in southern Alberta have voltages which are 10-20% larger when using the MT impedances due to the polarized geoelectric field. As shown with forward modelling tests, the polarization is due to the Southern Alberta British Columbia conductor in the lower crust (20-30 km depth) that is associated with a Proterozoic tectonic suture zone. This forms an important link between ancient tectonic processes and modern-day geoelectric hazards that cannot be modelled with a 1-D analysis. The geoelectric field model and resulting line voltage is compared to differential magnetometer GIC measurements on one transmission line near the Heartland transformer in northeastern Alberta.

How to cite: Cordell, D., Unsworth, M., Lee, B., Hanneson, C., Milling, D., Parry, H., and Mann, I.: Estimating the Geoelectric Field, Transmission Line Voltages, and GICs During a Geomagnetic Storm in Alberta, Canada, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-6243, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-6243, 2022.

Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) constitute an integral part of space weather research and are a subject of ever-growing attention for countries located in the low and middle latitudes. A series of recent studies highlights the importance of considering GIC risks for the Mediterranean region. Here, we exploit data from the HellENIc GeoMagnetic Array (ENIGMA), which is deployed in Greece, complemented by magnetic observatories in the Mediterranean region (Italy, France, Spain, Algeria and Turkey), to calculate values of the GIC index, i.e., a proxy of the geoelectric field calculated entirely from geomagnetic field variations. We perform our analysis for the most intense magnetic storms (Dst < -150 nT) of solar cycle 24. Our results show that GIC indices do not exceed low activity levels despite the increase in their values, at all magnetic observatories / stations under study during the selected storm events.

How to cite: Boutsi, A. Z., Balasis, G., Daglis, I. A., Tsinganos, K., and Giannakis, O.: Investigating the levels of Geomagnetically Induced Currents in the Mediterranean region during the most intense geomagnetic storms of solar cycle 24, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-6442, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-6442, 2022.

Track circuits are widely used signalling systems that use electrical currents to detect the presence or absence of a train in predefined sections of a railway network, as such, they are susceptible to interference from geomagnetically induced currents.

This work aims to determine the impact space weather has on realistic track circuits across geologically different regions of the UK under various storm conditions by using the Spherical Elementary Current System method of geomagnetic field interpolation, a ground conductivity model of the UK, a 1D-layered model to provide estimations of the geoelectric field and track circuit modelling techniques developed by Boteler (2021).

Early results of a modelled section of the West Coast Main Line in North West England will be presented.

How to cite: Patterson, C. and Wild, J.: Modelling space weather impacts on UK railway signalling systems, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-3006, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-3006, 2022.

How to cite: Wild, J., Lewis, Z., and Allcock, M.: Assessing the impact of weak and moderate geomagnetic storms on UK power station transformers, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-3218, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-3218, 2022.

During geomagnetic storms rapid magnetic variations cause large, sharp enhancements of the magnetic and geoelectric field at mid-latitudes. These present a potential hazard to grounded technology such as high voltage transformers, pipelines and railway systems. Spatio-temporal quantification can provide insight into the magnitude and configuration of their potential hazard. We perform a wavelet decomposition on both European ground-based magnetometer measurements and modelled Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) from the high voltage grid of Great Britain (GB).  A wavelet decomposition localizes the signal in the time-frequency domain, and we show that in both magnetometer observations, and modelled GIC response, the Haar wavelet extracts the signal power and waveform at the signal fastest rate-of-change.

We then use Haar wavelet cross-correlation of the GIC in the grounded nodes to build a time-varying network of GIC coherent response around the GB grid during intense geomagnetic storms [1]  including the 2003 Halloween storm. We find a highly intermittent (few 10s of minutes duration) long-range coherent response that can span the entire physical grid at most intense times. The spatial pattern of coherent response seen in the GIC flow network does not simply follow that of the amplitude of the rate of change of B field that is estimated via the Haar wavelet. Coherent response is excited across spatially extended clusters comprised of a subset of nodes that are highly connected to each other, with a tendency for east-west linkages following that of the physical grid, simultaneous with  the overhead presence of the auroral electrojet and the inducing component of the magnetic field. This can quantify the spatial and temporal location of increased hazard in specific regions during large storms by including effects of both the geophysical and engineering configuration of the high voltage grid.

[1] L. Orr, S. C. Chapman, C. Beggan, Wavelet and network analysis of magnetic field variation and geomagnetically induced currents during large storms, Space Weather (2021) doi: 10.1029/2021SW002772

How to cite: Chapman, S., Orr, L., and Beggan, C.: Wavelet cross-correlation dynamical network of the coherent GIC response to intense geomagnetic storms in the high voltage grid of Great Britain, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-1769, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-1769, 2022.