An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables
Abstract Submarine cables have experienced problems during extreme geomagnetic disturbances because of geomagnetically induced voltages adding or subtracting from the power feed to the repeaters. This is still a concern for modern fiber‐optic cables because they contain a copper conductor to carry p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Space Weather |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003687 |
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| author | David H. Boteler Shibaji Chakraborty Xueling Shi Michael D. Hartinger Xuan Wang |
| author_facet | David H. Boteler Shibaji Chakraborty Xueling Shi Michael D. Hartinger Xuan Wang |
| author_sort | David H. Boteler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Submarine cables have experienced problems during extreme geomagnetic disturbances because of geomagnetically induced voltages adding or subtracting from the power feed to the repeaters. This is still a concern for modern fiber‐optic cables because they contain a copper conductor to carry power to the repeaters. This paper provides a new examination of geomagnetic induction in submarine cables and makes calculations of the voltages experienced by the TAT‐8 trans‐Atlantic submarine cable during the March 1989 magnetic storm. It is shown that the cable itself experiences an induced electromotive force (emf) and that induction in the ocean also leads to changes of potential of the land at each end of the cable. The process for calculating the electric fields induced in the sea and in the cable from knowledge of the seawater depth and conductivity and subsea conductivity is explained. The cable route is divided into 9 sections and the seafloor electric field is calculated for each section. These are combined to give the total induced emf in the cable. In addition, induction in the seawater and leakage of induced currents through the underlying resistive layers are modeled using a transmission line model of the ocean and underlying layers to determine the change in Earth potentials at the cable ends. The induced emf in the cable and the end potentials are then combined to give the total voltage change experienced by the cable power feed equipment. This gives results very close to those recorded on the TAT‐8 cable in March 1989. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cc2223247ad413e982e5b9804f738b4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1542-7390 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Space Weather |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cc2223247ad413e982e5b9804f738b42025-01-14T16:30:41ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902024-02-01222n/an/a10.1029/2023SW003687An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine CablesDavid H. Boteler0Shibaji Chakraborty1Xueling Shi2Michael D. Hartinger3Xuan Wang4Geomagnetic Laboratory Natural Resources Canada Ottawa ON CanadaCenter for Space Science and Engineering Research Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USACenter for Space Science and Engineering Research Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USASpace Science Institute Boulder CO USADepartment of Electrical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing ChinaAbstract Submarine cables have experienced problems during extreme geomagnetic disturbances because of geomagnetically induced voltages adding or subtracting from the power feed to the repeaters. This is still a concern for modern fiber‐optic cables because they contain a copper conductor to carry power to the repeaters. This paper provides a new examination of geomagnetic induction in submarine cables and makes calculations of the voltages experienced by the TAT‐8 trans‐Atlantic submarine cable during the March 1989 magnetic storm. It is shown that the cable itself experiences an induced electromotive force (emf) and that induction in the ocean also leads to changes of potential of the land at each end of the cable. The process for calculating the electric fields induced in the sea and in the cable from knowledge of the seawater depth and conductivity and subsea conductivity is explained. The cable route is divided into 9 sections and the seafloor electric field is calculated for each section. These are combined to give the total induced emf in the cable. In addition, induction in the seawater and leakage of induced currents through the underlying resistive layers are modeled using a transmission line model of the ocean and underlying layers to determine the change in Earth potentials at the cable ends. The induced emf in the cable and the end potentials are then combined to give the total voltage change experienced by the cable power feed equipment. This gives results very close to those recorded on the TAT‐8 cable in March 1989.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003687submarine cablesgeomagnetic stormgeomagnetically induced currents |
| spellingShingle | David H. Boteler Shibaji Chakraborty Xueling Shi Michael D. Hartinger Xuan Wang An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables Space Weather submarine cables geomagnetic storm geomagnetically induced currents |
| title | An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables |
| title_full | An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables |
| title_fullStr | An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables |
| title_short | An Examination of Geomagnetic Induction in Submarine Cables |
| title_sort | examination of geomagnetic induction in submarine cables |
| topic | submarine cables geomagnetic storm geomagnetically induced currents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003687 |
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