University of Alberta

Published purpose

This project is entitled ""Substorm triggering and advances in large GIC specification and forecasting using GO Canada data"". The project team will investigate the connection between disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere and geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on the ground. GICs affect conductors on the surface of the Earth, including damaging electrical power grids, increasing corrosion of pipelines and causing electrical transformer failures. The team will use data from Canadian magnetometer arrays deployed across Canada and instruments on Canadian and foreign scientific satellites to improve our understanding of the events leading to the generation of large GICs. A better understanding of this phenomenon will help us to reduce the impact of space weather on Canadian infrastructure.