May 12, 2015

When solar storms release solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, toward Earth, we can feel the effects here on the ground. They can interfere with our magnetic field and produce geomagnetically induced currents, or GICs. These GICs impact our electric grid and can cause permanent damage to critical grid components, including high-voltage transformers.

While we can't stop solar storms and CMEs, we can mitigate their effect on the electric grid. And that's exactly what NASA and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) are doing.

NASA, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security's S&T, is developing research  models of GICs and their potential impacts on the U.S. power grid. Through this project, S&T, uses NASA research to developing localized forecasts that allow utility operators the ability to make proactive decisions to protect our grid from damage.

How much damage can solar storms do? A geomagnetic storm in March 1989 caused grid disturbances throughout North America. The most disruptive effects were experienced in Quebec, where the grid collapsed in less than two minutes and caused damage to some high voltage transformers. Restoration of service took nine hours and cost $30 million. In October 2003, a powerful series of storms around Halloween not only caused strong disruptions in Northern Europe and a regional blackout in Sweden, but they may have also damaged 12 transformers in South Africa, which are typically less susceptible to GIC effects due to its low latitude.

Image: Artist illustration of events on the sun changing the conditions in Near-Earth space.