What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources

Abstract We combine wavelet analysis and data fusion to investigate geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on the Mäntsälä pipeline and the associated horizontal geomagnetic field, BH, variations during the late main phase of the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm. The wavelet analysis decomposes the...

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Main Authors: Bhagyashree Waghule, D. J. Knipp, J. L. Gannon, D. Billet, S. K. Vines, J. Goldstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Space Weather
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003980
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author Bhagyashree Waghule
D. J. Knipp
J. L. Gannon
D. Billet
S. K. Vines
J. Goldstein
author_facet Bhagyashree Waghule
D. J. Knipp
J. L. Gannon
D. Billet
S. K. Vines
J. Goldstein
author_sort Bhagyashree Waghule
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We combine wavelet analysis and data fusion to investigate geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on the Mäntsälä pipeline and the associated horizontal geomagnetic field, BH, variations during the late main phase of the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm. The wavelet analysis decomposes the GIC and BH signals at increasing “scales” to show distinct multi‐minute spectral features around the GIC spikes. Four GIC spikes >10 A occurred while the pipeline was in the dusk sector—the first sine‐wave‐like spike at ∼16 UT was “compound.” It was followed by three “self‐similar” spikes 2 hr later. The contemporaneous multi‐resolution observations from ground‐(magnetometer, SuperMAG, SuperDARN), and space‐based (AMPERE, Two Wide‐Angle Imaging Neutral‐atom Spectrometers) platforms capture multi‐scale activity to reveal two magnetospheric modes causing the spikes. The GIC at ∼16 UT occurred in two parts with the negative spike associated with a transient sub‐auroral eastward electrojet that closed a developing partial ring current loop, whereas the positive spike developed with the arrival of the associated mesoscale flow‐channel in the auroral zone. The three spikes between 18 and 19 UT were due to bursty bulk flows (BBFs). We attribute all spikes to flow‐channel injections (substorms) of varying scales. We use previously published MHD simulations of the event to substantiate our conclusions, given the dearth of timely in‐situ satellite observations. Our results show that multi‐scale magnetosphere‐ionosphere activity that drives GICs can be understood using multi‐resolution analysis. This new framework of combining wavelet analysis with multi‐platform observations opens a research avenue for GIC investigations and other space weather impacts.
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spelling doaj-art-3cddaa1ab2fb458da73313348d75135d2025-08-20T03:08:50ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902024-07-01227n/an/a10.1029/2024SW003980What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric SourcesBhagyashree Waghule0D. J. Knipp1J. L. Gannon2D. Billet3S. K. Vines4J. Goldstein5University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USAUniversity of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USAComputational Physics Inc. Boulder CO USAUniversity of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK CanadaSouthwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USAAbstract We combine wavelet analysis and data fusion to investigate geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on the Mäntsälä pipeline and the associated horizontal geomagnetic field, BH, variations during the late main phase of the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm. The wavelet analysis decomposes the GIC and BH signals at increasing “scales” to show distinct multi‐minute spectral features around the GIC spikes. Four GIC spikes >10 A occurred while the pipeline was in the dusk sector—the first sine‐wave‐like spike at ∼16 UT was “compound.” It was followed by three “self‐similar” spikes 2 hr later. The contemporaneous multi‐resolution observations from ground‐(magnetometer, SuperMAG, SuperDARN), and space‐based (AMPERE, Two Wide‐Angle Imaging Neutral‐atom Spectrometers) platforms capture multi‐scale activity to reveal two magnetospheric modes causing the spikes. The GIC at ∼16 UT occurred in two parts with the negative spike associated with a transient sub‐auroral eastward electrojet that closed a developing partial ring current loop, whereas the positive spike developed with the arrival of the associated mesoscale flow‐channel in the auroral zone. The three spikes between 18 and 19 UT were due to bursty bulk flows (BBFs). We attribute all spikes to flow‐channel injections (substorms) of varying scales. We use previously published MHD simulations of the event to substantiate our conclusions, given the dearth of timely in‐situ satellite observations. Our results show that multi‐scale magnetosphere‐ionosphere activity that drives GICs can be understood using multi‐resolution analysis. This new framework of combining wavelet analysis with multi‐platform observations opens a research avenue for GIC investigations and other space weather impacts.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003980geomagnetically induced currents (GICs)magnetosphereionospherefield‐aligned currents (FACs)bursty bulk flowflow channels
spellingShingle Bhagyashree Waghule
D. J. Knipp
J. L. Gannon
D. Billet
S. K. Vines
J. Goldstein
What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
Space Weather
geomagnetically induced currents (GICs)
magnetosphere
ionosphere
field‐aligned currents (FACs)
bursty bulk flow
flow channels
title What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
title_full What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
title_fullStr What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
title_full_unstemmed What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
title_short What Drove the GICs >10 A During the 17 March 2013 Event at Mäntsälä? A Novel Framework for Distinguishing the Magnetospheric Sources
title_sort what drove the gics 10 a during the 17 march 2013 event at mantsala a novel framework for distinguishing the magnetospheric sources
topic geomagnetically induced currents (GICs)
magnetosphere
ionosphere
field‐aligned currents (FACs)
bursty bulk flow
flow channels
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003980
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