Space weather can create a spectacle in the sky, while also driving electric currents that can damage power grids and other technological systems on the ground. Space physicists<\/a> like us<\/a> want to understand how space weather can affect infrastructure on Earth.<\/p>\n Our research shows that<\/a> a single space weather event called a substorm<\/a>, during which energy is released tens of thousands of miles away from Earth, can affect the ground within minutes. The strength of the impact can vary from place to place depending on the latitude and the structure of the soil and rock below your feet.<\/p>\n From solar storm to substorm<\/p>\n Earth is constantly immersed in the solar wind<\/a>: a stream of charged particles flowing outward from the Sun. Occasionally, the Sun releases a much larger eruption<\/a> called a coronal mass ejection<\/a>. <\/p>\n The solar wind is a stream of particles coming from the Sun. This cloud of charged particles and magnetic fields does not simply \u201chit\u201d Earth and immediately cause power-grid failures. Instead, it can set off a chain of processes in space that can pose a threat to power grids<\/a>. <\/p>\n First, when the coronal mass ejection reaches Earth, the charged particles and magnetic fields it carries interact with Earth\u2019s magnetosphere<\/a>. The magnetosphere is the region of space around Earth dominated by its magnetic field.<\/p>\n If the coronal mass ejection\u2019s magnetic field is oriented in a certain way, it can connect with Earth\u2019s magnetic field on the side facing the Sun. The solar wind then carries these connected field lines around Earth away from the Sun and stretches them far out into space behind Earth. This process forms a long region of stretched magnetic field lines called the magnetotail.<\/p>\n Magnetic energy builds up in the magnetotail as the solar wind continues to push the field lines farther into space \u2013 until they come close enough to reconnect<\/a>. Then, the stored energy is released in an explosive process known as a substorm<\/a>. This release occurs on the side of Earth facing away from the Sun, roughly 28,000 to 40,000 miles<\/a> (45,000 to 65,000 kilometers) from Earth. <\/p>\n A substorm can cause the aurora to brighten.<\/p>\n During the substorm, energetic particles shoot along the magnetic field lines toward Earth. When these particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere, about 56 to 93 miles (90 to 150 kilometers) overhead, they produce the glowing aurora. <\/p>\n These energetic particles also drive strong electrical currents in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere<\/a>. Rapid changes in these currents can cause Earth\u2019s magnetic field at the ground level to change sharply. <\/p>\n These changing magnetic fields can induce electric currents in the ground and in power lines, potentially damaging transformers and tripping circuit breakers.<\/p>\n From the magnetotail to Earth\u2019s surface<\/p>\n Our team wanted to find out<\/a> how closely the aurora is linked to disturbances in Earth\u2019s magnetic field and how long it takes for a disturbance released in the magnetotail to reach Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n We examined two auroral events in detail by combining data from NASA spacecraft \u2013 including THEMIS, time history of events and macroscale interactions during substorms<\/a>, and NOAA\u2019s GOES, geostationary operational environmental satellites<\/a> \u2013 with data from a dense network of magnetometers across Arctic Canada that measure changes in Earth\u2019s magnetic field at the ground. These changes in the magnetic field can drive electric currents in the ground and power lines.<\/p>\n An illustration of one of the GOES satellites, which monitors Earth\u2019s atmosphere and space weather. The observations revealed a clear sequence. When these stretched magnetic field lines on the nightside suddenly reconnected, the spacecraft recorded an abrupt change in the magnetic field and a burst of charged particles moving toward Earth. About seven minutes later, the magnetic field at the ground began to change rapidly. The effects of this energy release, tens of thousands of miles away, reached Earth\u2019s surface within minutes.<\/p>\n The aurora and ground disturbance do not appear everywhere at once. In our observations, they began at lower latitudes and then spread toward the North Pole over the next 20 to 30 minutes. <\/p>\n Nearby geomagnetic stations, however, often recorded very different responses. Stations tens to hundreds of miles apart could see strong magnetic swings at one site and weak ones at another. The difference depended on the strength of currents in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere and local conditions \u2013 including how electrically conductive the upper atmosphere is overhead and how conductive the ground beneath the magnetic station is. This atmospheric conductivity can vary with sunlight and auroral activity, while ground conductivity depends on local geology and moisture levels.<\/p>\n Seeing a spectacular aurora does not automatically mean the ground beneath it is experiencing the strongest magnetic disturbances or electric currents.<\/p>\n When the aurora becomes a grid problem<\/p>\n History shows that space weather poses a real risk to space and ground infrastructure. During a March 1989 geomagnetic storm, people witnessed spectacular auroras as far south as Texas, while rapid changes in magnetic fields contributed to the collapse of the Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec power system<\/a>. More than 6 million people lost electricity<\/a> for about nine hours on a cold winter night. With the city lights extinguished, the aurora appeared even more spectacular.<\/p>\n A similar combination occurred during the Halloween storms of October 2003. Auroras illuminated skies across Europe, while geomagnetically induced currents<\/a> contributed to a blackout<\/a> affecting about 50,000 people in Malm\u00f6, Sweden.<\/p>\n Solar storms can threaten power grid infrastructure.![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/file-20261013-60-2afygg.jpg\")
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