'Auroras and geomagnetically induced currents are caused by similar space weather drivers,' researcher Denny Oliveira said.
The same space weather that sparks spectacular auroras across the night skies can also damage infrastructure due to the flow of electrical currents, potentially causing power outages, a study has warned.Auroras can be caused by geomagnetic storms resulting from coronal mass ejections from the sun, or also result from something called interplanetary shocks.
'But weaker, more frequent events such as interplanetary shocks can pose threats to ground conductors over time. Our work shows that considerable geoelectric currents occur quite frequently after shocks, and they deserve attention.'The paper reveals that the angle at which these interplanetary shocks hit our planet determines the strength of the electrical currents created and therefore the degree of damage to things like pipelines and the electrical grid.
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