Topical Discussion Meeting - How can we improve modelling of processes driving GIC and electric field impacts on ground-based systems?

Alan Thomson (British Geological Survey); Mervyn Freeman (British Antarctic Survey); Kathy Whaler (University of Edinburgh); Jim Wild (University of Lancaster); Ciaran Beggan (BGS); Ellen Clarke (BGS)
Tuesday 19/11, 14:00-15:15

Severe space weather is known to pose a significant hazard to ground based technologies, such as electrical transmission systems, gas transmission pipelines and railways. Space weather is a consequence of solar magnetic activity that is carried to Earth in the Solar Wind, where it interacts with the electrical currents and electromagnetic fields in near-Earth space and in the upper atmosphere. Because of Faraday's law of induction, these varying electrical currents in space cause a changing magnetic field at ground level, which induces a surface electric field in the Earth. This electric field acts as a source of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC), which flow to and from the ground through conducting networks.
In this Topical Discussion Meeting, we ask the question “how can we develop better physical understanding of electromagnetic fields and currents in near Earth space and in the upper atmosphere, and how these couple to geo-electromagnetic processes on the ground?” We also ask “how do we develop our modelling, monitoring and forecasting of space weather impacts on ground-based systems?”
All participants are therefore invited to discuss with us how we can get to a new generation of solid Earth and space environment models that better quantify how space weather, rapid magnetic variations, sub-surface conductivity and surface electric fields impact ground-level conducting infrastructures. To motivate the discussion in this TDM, we will present some background information on a UK government-funded four-year project called SWIGS (Space Weather Impacts on Ground-based Systems: http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/research/SWIGS/home.html). This collaboration seeks to address the very questions posed here, with the ultimate aim of improving models and services for industry.