Solar storms and auroras can threaten Earth's power grids
Space weather events like substorms can drive electric currents that damage transformers and power lines, according to research reported by BusinessLine.
Space weather, caused by solar activity, can drive electric currents that damage power grids and technological systems on the ground, according to a report by BusinessLine. While auroras appear as colourful lights in the sky, they are linked to processes that affect Earth's surface.
Research involving NASA and NOAA spacecraft data shows that a substorm can impact the ground within minutes. These events occur when energy is released in the magnetotail, a region of stretched magnetic field lines located 28,000 to 40,000 miles away from Earth.
During a substorm, energetic particles travel toward Earth and collide with atmospheric atoms to create auroras. These particles also drive electrical currents in the upper atmosphere, causing rapid changes in the magnetic field at ground level.
These magnetic changes can induce electric currents in power lines and the ground, which may trip circuit breakers or damage transformers. The impact varies based on latitude and the conductivity of the soil and rock below.
The study, which used magnetometers in Arctic Canada, found that ground magnetic field changes began roughly seven minutes after the initial reconnection of magnetic field lines in space. The effects then spread from lower latitudes toward the North Pole over 20 to 30 minutes.
Historical data highlights these risks, such as a March 1989 geomagnetic storm. During that event, the Hydro-Québec power system collapsed, leaving more than 6 million people without electricity for approximately nine hours.