Workshop on Geomagnetically Induced Currents; College Park, Maryland; Four Days in October 2023

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Geomagnetically induced currents at the Earth's surface during severe space weather events are hazardous to the technological infrastructure, such as electric power grids, oil and gas pipelines, undersea communication cables, telephone and telegraph networks, and railways. Addressing the vulnerability of these systems to geomagnetic disturbances is an important component in meeting their critical role in society. The workshop will bring together participants from research, industry, and government domains to develop a supported and sustained community centered on the geomagnetically induced currents during extreme space weather. A key goal is the integration of the modeling and prediction with their applications to the needs of power system operators and government agencies in managing potential consequences of the impact on critical infrastructure. The workshop's main objective is to nucleate an engaged community supported by government and private funding agencies. The workshop will contribute to enhancing the resilience of the technological infrastructure by integrating the understanding and management of risk from geomagnetically induced currents. The cross-disciplinary meeting will contribute to developing standards and their approval in the evolving electric power grid by ensuring information sharing and developing improved modeling and simulation tools. In education and training, students will participate in the planning and organization of the workshop with an emphasis on engagement in STEM education and related activities. The workshop will engage underrepresented groups at all stages to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in meeting the societal need for resilient technological infrastructure. The workshop will engage participants from academia, industry, and government in discussions and exchanges targeting the development of an ecosystem of supported and sustained communities centered on the geomagnetically induced currents and their hazardous impacts on technological infrastructure. The workshop's scientific goal is to integrate the modeling and prediction using first-principle and data-driven approaches to improve the understanding of geomagnetically induced currents by harnessing the growing data and improving the predictive capability. The data from current and forthcoming monitoring platforms will be used to define approaches to uncertainty quantification, which is an essential step toward achieving better predictability. The research activities in uncertainty quantification are inherently multidisciplinary, thus requiring a comprehensive effort that brings together disciplinary researchers and stakeholders. By focusing on the overlapping efforts toward addressing the needs of stakeholders, the workshop will define pathways to the convergence of research, operation, and regulation. A key goal is the integration of the modeling and prediction with their applications to the needs of power system operators and government agencies in managing potential consequences from impact to critical infrastructure. The emerging approach of Digital Twins will be explored to address improved decision-making for the electricity system. With the common objective of building resilient infrastructure, the near- and long-term objectives will be identified to nucleate an engaged community and its ecosystem. The workshop will define pathways for coordination to optimize cooperation and closure between research, operation, and regulation, and toward establishing multi-agency, long-period funding vehicles to support a sustained community engaged in all aspects of geomagnetically induced currents to meet the needs for societal resilience to severe space weather. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.