Influence of Tectonic and Geological Structure on GIC in Southern South Island, New Zealand

As part of a 5-year project to assess the risk posed by geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) to the New Zealand electrical transmission network, long-period magnetotelluric (MT) measurements have been made at 62 sites in southern South Island of New Zealand, a region where there was an absence of previous MT data. The data are largely 3-dimensional in character, but show distinct features that can be related to the known tectonic and geological structure. In this work we focus on how the measured MT impedance tensors, and a simple interpretation of conductivity structure, can be used to assess the influence of tectonic and geological structure on GIC. We use the impedance tensors to calculate the magnitudes and orientations of induced electric fields in response to various orientations of inducing magnetic field. The electric fields so calculated are then used in a simplified model of the transmission network to calculate GIC at grounded substations. Our results confirm that tectonic/geological structure in the lower South Island and the resulting electrical conductivity variations have important impacts on the GIC magnitude. In the south-west, smaller induced electric fields, associated with the higher conductivity in that region, lead to much reduced GIC at a substation in that area. In contrast, higher electric fields occurring in a NW-SE band across the center of the region, contribute to much larger GIC in Dunedin city. Our results thus help explain the observed GIC reported at transformers in the region. Variations in the Earth's magnetic field during magnetic storms produce induced currents in the ground which in certain circumstances may present a risk to an electricity transmission network. Understanding the risk in any given region requires knowledge of the local ground electrical conductivity structure. To help map the structure across southern South Island, New Zealand, we have made long period magnetotelluric measurements at 62 sites. We use these measurements to calculate the electric fields which would be induced in the ground due to magnetic field variations. Using a simplified representation of the electrical transmission network, we use these calculated electric fields to assess how particular features of the geological structure influence the currents (geomagnetically induced currents-GIC) that can be produced in the power network.

Automated summary

This study uses long-period magnetotelluric measurements to assess the risk posed by geomagnetically induced currents to the electrical transmission network in southern South Island, New Zealand. The results show that geological and tectonic structures have significant impacts on the magnitude and orientation of the induced electric fields and the resulting GIC.