Research Article

Geomagnetically induced currents in Europe

Modelled occurrence in a continent-wide power grid

¹ Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palmenin aukio 1, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
² Natural Resources Canada, Geomagnetic Laboratory, 2617 Anderson Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0E7, Canada
³ Geodetic and Geophysical Institute, RCAES, HAS, Csatkai Endre Utca 6-8, 9400 Sopron, Hungary
⁴ Polar Geophysical Institute, Fersman St. 14, 184209 Apatity, Murmansk Region, Russia
⁵ NeuroSpace, Lotsgatan 33B, 21642 Limhamn, Sweden

^* Corresponding author: ari.viljanen@fmi.fi

Received: 5 November 2013
Accepted: 23 February 2014

Abstract

Statistics of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in the European high-voltage power grids based on 1-min geomagnetic recordings in 1996–2008 and on 1-D models of the ground conductivity have been derived in the EURISGIC project (European Risk from Geomagnetically Induced Currents). The simplified yet realistic power grid model indicates that large GIC can occur anywhere in Europe. However, geomagnetic variations are clearly larger in North Europe, so it is the likely region of significant GIC events. Additionally, there are areas in the North with especially low ground conductivities, which further tend to increase GIC. The largest modelled GIC values at single substations in 1996–2008 are about 400 A in the Nordic Countries, about 100 A in the British Isles, about 80 A in the Baltic Countries, and less than 50 A in Central and South Europe. The largest GIC event in the period studied is the Halloween storm on 29–30 October 2003, and the next largest ones occurred on 15 July 2000 and 9 November 2004.