Study of Geomagnetic impacts to the Czech power system. Study source (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2005.14448.pdf) For the TL/DR folks, you can skip ahead to page 19 to avoid the more esoteric math discussions. Money quote: It is worth noting that our study showed that in the 5-day period following the commencement ofgeomagnetic activity there is an approximately 5–10% increase in the recorded power line andtransformers anomalies in the Czech power grid, probably related to geomagnetic activity andGICs. Such values are consistent with previous results concerning the US power grid (Schrijverand Mitchell, 2013). Schrijver et al. (2014) further found that for the US network, the 5% stormiestdays were apparently the most dangerous, with a 20% increase of grid-related anomalies as com-pared to quiet periods. We similarly found that the days with a minimumDst<−50 nT (roughlyrepresenting the≈8% stormiest days, see Gonzalez et al. 1994) had probably the strongest impactin the Czech power grid, leading to immediate or slightly delayed∼5−20% increases of anomaliesas compared to quiet periods. What caught my eye was the references to studies on the US grid. Those may be found on line for the folks that are curious about US grid related 'anomalies'. While this study has some interesting math (Epoch based norming) it falls apart quickly as there is no ..'accommodation' for the network as a whole. That is to say, age, state of repair and how the protective devices are laced into their system(s) studied and the type of SCADA used to monitor the network for anomalous events.. Nothing against the folks doing the study but much of the electric distribution network reviewed comes from the bad old days of the old Soviet and the crap engineering used. Also, much the data used was paper logs. On the plus side, it does present a large, embedded electrical system that is by its nature (build and maintenance) susceptible to GIC problems. The note of +5 days from storm onset to peak transformer alerts is also notable. For most readers at this site, the data on the US grid may be of immediate interest for follow up. Living at a high latitude and on a grid that routinely experiences GIC (eddy current transients) I'm happy the local providers have, to date, spent the money tp place numerous safety devices in the network to mitigate these geomagnetic events. You should ask if your local power company does the same... How is geomagnetism measured? Geomagnetism Frequently Asked Questions NOAA,, once called Coast and Geodetic Survey dept and the Weather Bureau were 'consolidated' under The One, Al the Gore, and is now just another another massive FedGov bureaucracy ....however, they are still nodes that produce usable data - like the NWS Space Weather Prediction Center.... Enjoy
