EGU23-3980, updated on 13 Apr 2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3980
EGU General Assembly 2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Investigation of the Geomagnetically Induced Current Index levels in the Mediterranean region during the strongest magnetic storms of solar cycle 24

Adamantia Zoe Boutsi1,2, Georgios Balasis2, Stavros Dimitrakoudis3, Ioannis A. Daglis1,2,4, Kanaris Tsinganos1, Constantinos Papadimitriou1,2, and Omiros Giannakis2
Adamantia Zoe Boutsi et al.
  • 1Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
  • 2Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Greece
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Canada
  • 4Hellenic Space Center, Athens, Greece

Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) constitute an integral part of space weather research and are a subject of ever-growing attention for countries located in the low and middle latitudes. A series of recent studies highlights the importance of considering GIC risks for the Mediterranean region. Here, we exploit data from the HellENIc GeoMagnetic Array (ENIGMA), which is deployed in Greece, complemented by magnetic observatories in the Mediterranean region (Italy, France, Spain, Algeria and Turkey), to calculate values of the GIC index, i.e., a proxy of the geoelectric field calculated entirely from geomagnetic field variations. We perform our analysis for the most intense magnetic storms (Dst < -150 nT) of solar cycle 24. Our results show that GIC index increases are well correlated with Storm Sudden Commencements (SSCs). However, the GIC indices do not exceed “low” activity levels despite the increases in their values, at all magnetic stations / observatories under study during the selected storm events.

How to cite: Boutsi, A. Z., Balasis, G., Dimitrakoudis, S., Daglis, I. A., Tsinganos, K., Papadimitriou, C., and Giannakis, O.: Investigation of the Geomagnetically Induced Current Index levels in the Mediterranean region during the strongest magnetic storms of solar cycle 24, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3980, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3980, 2023.