Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale
Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) pose a significant space weather hazard, driven by geomagnetic field variation due to the coupling of the solar wind to the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Extensive research has been dedicated to understanding ground-level geomagnetic field perturbations as...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1610276/full |
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| author | Raman Mukundan Raman Mukundan Amy M. Keesee Amy M. Keesee José Paulo Marchezi José Paulo Marchezi Victor A. Pinto Victor A. Pinto Michael Coughlan Michael Coughlan Donald Hampton |
| author_facet | Raman Mukundan Raman Mukundan Amy M. Keesee Amy M. Keesee José Paulo Marchezi José Paulo Marchezi Victor A. Pinto Victor A. Pinto Michael Coughlan Michael Coughlan Donald Hampton |
| author_sort | Raman Mukundan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) pose a significant space weather hazard, driven by geomagnetic field variation due to the coupling of the solar wind to the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Extensive research has been dedicated to understanding ground-level geomagnetic field perturbations as a GIC proxy. Still, the non-uniform aspect of geomagnetic fluctuations make it difficult to fully characterize the ground-level magnetic field across large regions of the globe. Here, we focus on localized geomagnetic disturbances (LGMDs) in the North American region and specify the degree to which these disturbances are localized. Employing the electrodynamics-informed Spherical Elementary Current Systems (SECS) method, we spatially interpolate magnetic field perturbations between ground-based magnetometer stations. In this way, we represent the ground magnetic field as a series of heatmaps at high temporal and spatial resolution. We leverage heatmaps from storm time during solar cycle 24 to automatically identify LGMDs. We build a statistical picture of the frequency with which LGMDs occur, their scale sizes, and their latitude-longitude aspect ratios. Additionally, we use an information theory approach to quantify the dependence of these three attributes on the phase of the solar cycle. We find no clear influence of the solar cycle on any of the three attributes. We offer some avenues toward explaining why LGMDs might behave broadly the same whether they arise during solar maximum or solar minimum. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8bb91612abf34198a4e948dbd6c2ea7e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-8bb91612abf34198a4e948dbd6c2ea7e2025-08-20T03:36:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2025-08-011210.3389/fspas.2025.16102761610276Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scaleRaman Mukundan0Raman Mukundan1Amy M. Keesee2Amy M. Keesee3José Paulo Marchezi4José Paulo Marchezi5Victor A. Pinto6Victor A. Pinto7Michael Coughlan8Michael Coughlan9Donald Hampton10University of New Hampshire, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Durham, NH, United StatesDepartamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, ChileCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CIRAS), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, ChileUniversity of New Hampshire, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Durham, NH, United StatesUniversity of New Hampshire, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Durham, NH, United StatesGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, United StatesGeomagnetically induced currents (GICs) pose a significant space weather hazard, driven by geomagnetic field variation due to the coupling of the solar wind to the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Extensive research has been dedicated to understanding ground-level geomagnetic field perturbations as a GIC proxy. Still, the non-uniform aspect of geomagnetic fluctuations make it difficult to fully characterize the ground-level magnetic field across large regions of the globe. Here, we focus on localized geomagnetic disturbances (LGMDs) in the North American region and specify the degree to which these disturbances are localized. Employing the electrodynamics-informed Spherical Elementary Current Systems (SECS) method, we spatially interpolate magnetic field perturbations between ground-based magnetometer stations. In this way, we represent the ground magnetic field as a series of heatmaps at high temporal and spatial resolution. We leverage heatmaps from storm time during solar cycle 24 to automatically identify LGMDs. We build a statistical picture of the frequency with which LGMDs occur, their scale sizes, and their latitude-longitude aspect ratios. Additionally, we use an information theory approach to quantify the dependence of these three attributes on the phase of the solar cycle. We find no clear influence of the solar cycle on any of the three attributes. We offer some avenues toward explaining why LGMDs might behave broadly the same whether they arise during solar maximum or solar minimum.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1610276/fullspace weathergeomagnetically induced currentslocalized geomagnetic disturbanceground based magnetometerspherical elementary current systems |
| spellingShingle | Raman Mukundan Raman Mukundan Amy M. Keesee Amy M. Keesee José Paulo Marchezi José Paulo Marchezi Victor A. Pinto Victor A. Pinto Michael Coughlan Michael Coughlan Donald Hampton Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences space weather geomagnetically induced currents localized geomagnetic disturbance ground based magnetometer spherical elementary current systems |
| title | Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| title_full | Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| title_fullStr | Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| title_short | Localized geomagnetic disturbances: a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| title_sort | localized geomagnetic disturbances a statistical analysis of spatial scale |
| topic | space weather geomagnetically induced currents localized geomagnetic disturbance ground based magnetometer spherical elementary current systems |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1610276/full |
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