Eruptive events of solar activity often trigger abrupt variations of the geomagnetic field. Through the induction of electric currents, human infrastructures are also affected, namely the equipment of electric power transmission networks. It was show
n in past studies that the rate of power-grid anomalies may increase after an exposure to strong geomagnetically induced currents. We search for a rapid response of devices in the Czech electric distribution grid to disturbed days of high geomagnetic activity. Such disturbed days are described either by the cumulative storm-time $Dst$ or $d(textit{SYM-H})/dt$ low-latitude indices mainly influenced by ring current variations, by the cumulative $AE$ high-latitude index measuring substorm-related auroral current variations, or by the cumulative $ap$ mid-latitude index measuring both ring and auroral current variations. We use superposed epoch analysis to identify possible increases of anomaly rates during and after such disturbed days. We show that in the case of abundant series of anomalies on power lines, the anomaly rate increases significantly immediately (within 1 day) after the onset of geomagnetic storms. In the case of transformers, the increase of the anomaly rate is generally delayed by 2--3 days. We also find that transformers and some electric substations seem to be sensitive to a prolonged exposure to substorms, with a delayed increase of anomalies. Overall, we show that in the 5-day period following the commencement of geomagnetic activity there is an approximately 5--10% increase in the recorded anomalies in the Czech power grid and thus this fraction of anomalies is probably related to an exposure to GICs.
We analyze statistically extreme time-integrated Ap events in 1958-2007, which occurred during both strong and weak geomagnetic storms. The tail of the distribution of such events can be accurately fitted by a power-law with a sharp upper cutoff, in
close agreement with a second fit inferred from Extreme Value Theory. Such a behavior is suggestive of a self-organization of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system appearing during strong and sustained solar wind driving. The 1 in 10 years to 1 in 100 years return levels of such extreme events are calculated, taking into account possible solar cycle modulations. The huge October 2003 event turns out to be a 1 in 100 (+/- 40) years event. Comparisons with the distribution of extreme time-integrated aa events collected in 1870-2010 support the reliability of our results over the long run. Using data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites and the Van Allen Probes, we show that extreme time-integrated $ap$ events produce hard fluxes of energetic electrons and ions in the magnetotail and high fluxes (>1000 000 e/cm2/sr/s/MeV) of 1.8 MeV electrons in the heart of the outer radiation belt.
