Space Weather Impact on Ground-Based Infrastructure

Abstract

Space weather is the set of processes occurring in near-Earth space under the influence of solar activity. This review presents the principal components of space weather, the causes of their formation, and their impacts on Earth. One of the most significant space weather factors is geomagnetically induced currents in technological conducting grounded systems, caused by rapid variations of the geomagnetic field. Extended conducting systems such as power transmission lines, pipelines, and railways are particularly vulnerable. This paper presents the main results of analysis of the effects of geomagnetic disturbances on the operation of power systems, main trunk pipelines, and railway automation. The results confirm the necessity of developing adaptive protection measures. For an adequate assessment of the impact of geomagnetic disturbances, it is necessary to further develop short-term and long-term space weather forecasting systems, local models of Earth’s crustal conductivity, and their integration with real network configurations.