FG: Understanding the causes of geomagnetic disturbances in geospace for hazard analysis on geomagnetically induced currents

Dates: 2022 – 2026
Leaders: Xueling Shi, Virginia Tech (xueling7@vt.edu), Dogacan Su Ozturk, University of Alaska Fairbanks (dsozturk@alaska.edu), Mark Engebretson, Augsburg University (engebret@augsburg.edu), Zhonghua Xu, Virginia Tech (zxu77@vt.edu), Erin Joshua Rigler, USGS (erigler@usgs.gov)
Research Area: Primary – GSM, Secondary – MIC

Topic Description

Geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) related to various phenomena in the near-Earth space environment can induce geoelectric fields within the electrically conducting Earth. In turn these geoelectric fields drive electric currents that can flow through technological infrastructure in the form of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) and cause potential damage to power grid, pipelines, and submarine cables. Our focus group (FG) aims to improve the physical understanding of the causes of GMDs through observations, numerical simulations, and machine learning techniques in the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-ground coupled system for hazard analysis on GICs. Understanding the causes of GMDs is crucial in the development and validation of models which aim to accurately and reliably predict the variations of geoelectric fields and GICs and are objectives of the National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan (NSWSAP, 2019).

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