Operational impact · Ground infrastructure
Power Grids
Geomagnetic storms drive currents in the ground that flow into long transmission lines — geomagnetically induced currents — which can saturate and damage transformers and, in severe cases, cause regional blackouts. The 1989 Québec blackout is the classic example.
Highlights
- ›Geomagnetically induced currents in the grid
Drivers, environments & assets
Knowledge connections
- Associated withGeomagnetic Storm
- Associated withNOAA G-Scale (Geomagnetic Storms)
- Associated withSpace Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NOAA SWPCNOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
Space-weather forecasts and alerts: aurora (OVATION), the Kp index, and the G1–G5 geomagnetic storm scale.