Science, Space and Technology News 2024
Research into auroras and geomagnetically induced currents reveals that the angle of interplanetary shocks against Earth’s magnetic field critically influences the severity of currents affecting electrical infrastructures. Direct shocks tend to induce stronger currents, which can lead to widespread power outages. Forecasting these shocks can help mitigate risks to critical infrastructure.
“The auroral region can greatly expand during severe geomagnetic storms,” he added. “Usually, its southernmost boundary is around latitudes of 70 degrees, but during extreme events it can go down to 40 degrees or even further, which certainly occurred during the May 2024 storm — the most severe storm in the past two decades.
To do this, they took a database of interplanetary shocks and cross-referenced it with readings of geomagnetically induced currents from a natural gas pipeline in Mäntsälä, Finland, which is generally in the auroral region during active times. To calculate the properties of these shocks, such as angle and speed, they used interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind data.
“One thing power infrastructure operators could do to safeguard their equipment is to manage a few specific electric circuits when a shock alert is issued,” suggested Oliveira. “This would prevent geomagnetically induced currents reducing the lifetime of the equipment.”
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