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The solar cycle, geology, and geoelectric hazards for power grids

October 16, 2024

When sunspots are large and numerous, intense magnetic storms are likely to occur on the Earth. Magnetic storms can generate electric fields in the Earth, and these fields can, in turn, interfere with electric power transmission grids that are grounded at the Earth’s surface. Across the contiguous United States, geoelectric hazards are highest in the Upper Midwest and in the East. These regions correspond to geological structures that are electrically resistive, and they have, historically, experienced the most interference to electric power systems.

Publication Year 2024
Title The solar cycle, geology, and geoelectric hazards for power grids
DOI 10.3133/fs20243036
Authors Jeffrey J. Love, Steven Sobieszczyk, E. Joshua Rigler, Anna Kelbert, Kristen A. Lewis
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Fact Sheet
Series Number 2024-3036
Index ID fs20243036
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Geologic Hazards Science Center - Seismology / Geomagnetism
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