Simulation of Geomagnetically Induced Currents in a Low‐Latitude 500 kV Power Network During a Solar Superstorm

Abstract

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) directed toward the Earth produce the most severe geomagnetic storms in the Earth's atmosphere. The highly variable magnetosphere-ionosphere current system produced by a CME can induce geoelectric fields in the ground, resulting in the generation of low-frequency geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in conductor based technological infrastructure systems in the ground, such as power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and high-speed railway systems. The flow of large GICs through transformer windings can saturate the core and cause the transformer to malfunction (with the possibility of permanent damage) and can even cause the whole system to collapse (Pirjola, 2002). The corresponding increase in soil pile potentials can destroy the cathodic protection, accelerating the corrosion rate of pipelines (Boteler, 2000). Moreover, GICs flowing through the track circuits of railways may cause anomalies in signaling and control systems .

Mid‐Latitude Double H‐Spikes: Their Properties and Signatures in Different Geomagnetic Indices

“…GICs are driven by the geoelectric field induced by fluctuations of Earth's magnetic field (Ngwira & Pulkkinen, 2019; Pulkkinen et al., 2005; Trichtchenko & Boteler, 2004; Viljanen, 1997; Viljanen et al., 1999) and can produce ground electrical anomalies in power transmission lines. As the physical cause of GICs are rapid time‐varying magnetic fields ( dB / dt ), GICs will occur mainly during magnetic storms and substorms (Schillings et al., 2022; Tsurutani et al., 2015), and FACs can play an important role in producing large GICs at low latitudes during geomagnetic storms (Zhang et al., 2022). It is well known that substorms can occur as features outside storms (Iyemori & Rao, 1996; Trichtchenko & Boteler, 2004) but substorms are always an important feature within the timeline of any storm.…”