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pwrsysengineer | 6 years ago

This kind of event can cause transmission power outages.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetically_induced_curr...

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hwillis|6 years ago

It can even kill tons of animals/people at once[1]. Four legged animals are more vulnerable than humans, since the voltage across your heart depends on how far apart your feet are. Also, we wear shoes.

Imagine how spooky it would be to be struck by ground current without understanding... Whether or not you survive could depend entirely on what direction you're standing. One direction will mean your feet are at different voltages and current jumps into your nice conductive veins and arteries, all passing right through your heart. The other direction means the front and back of each foot is at different voltages, and you may not even feel it. Hundreds of people just drop dead of heart attacks around you.

[1]: https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/29/12690402/lightning-strike...

jcims|6 years ago

Just an aside, a term for this is 'potential gradient' (potential as in voltage, not probability :)

zaarn|6 years ago

Well, that would be the ground current of a lightning strike, the induced ground current of a solar event is much much lower, it only plays a role with long wires.

duelingjello|6 years ago

FUD. It’s not lightning.

runarb|6 years ago

> This kind of event can cause transmission power outages.

We did have a power outage in the middle of Norway at 17.26 CET (UT +1 hour) yesterday: https://www.nidaros.no/trondheim/bakklandet/strombrudd/flere...

Power outages in Norway are very rare. I think it if the first one I have experienced in 10-15 years. Could it be related?