Webinars - Detail

Electric fields induced in the Earth’s conducting interior during magnetic storms can interfere with the operation of electric-power grid systems. In extreme cases, these geoelectric fields can damage high-voltage transformers and cause blackouts. Maps of extreme-event geoelectric amplitude can help utility companies evaluate the vulnerability of their systems to this ground-level space-weather hazard. We discuss the construction of such maps using data from the EarthScope magnetotelluric survey and from long-operating magnetic observatories. This project is a collaboration between solid-Earth and space-physics scientists, and it is motivated by the U.S. National Space Weather Action Plan.