Space weather impacts auroras and threatens power grids

Space weather, driven by solar activity, creates spectacular auroras while simultaneously posing risks to terrestrial infrastructure. Research indicates that space weather events, such as substorms, can trigger electric currents in the ground within minutes of energy release.

Large-scale solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections carry clouds of charged particles and magnetic fields. When these interact with Earth’s magnetosphere, they can initiate a chain of processes that threaten power grids and other technological systems. The severity of these impacts varies based on geographic latitude and the specific composition of soil and rock in a given area.