USMTArray Unveils 18-Year 3D North America Map as Solar Storm Risks Top 20 V/km
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 27
USMTArray Unveils 18-Year 3D North America Map as Solar Storm Risks Top 20 V/km
1 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 27
Summary
After 18 years and measurements at more than 1,800 sites, USMTArray completed the first continent-scale 3D electrical map of North America, giving scientists a far sharper view of underground conductivity.
That map improves solar-storm risk monitoring by showing how buried rocks, fluids and ancient structures can amplify geoelectric currents that flow into power grids during geomagnetic events.
In Maine during the 1989 storm, geoelectric fields reached 22.79 V/km—well above the roughly 1 V/km threat level cited by researchers—and could induce about 4,000 volts along a 200-km power line.
NOAA and the USGS already use USMTArray data in a real-time hazard map, but researchers said prediction rather than detection remains the next step for grid operators and emergency planners.
Beyond grid protection, the model also traces billion-year-old continental structures and may help identify conductive minerals, underground fluids and geothermal resources.
This new map reveals America's hidden electrical weaknesses. What is the plan to harden the nation's power grid against a crippling solar storm?
After 18 years of mapping Earth's vulnerabilities, can science now predict the next catastrophic solar storm before it hits?
Could the map protecting our grid also unveil the geothermal energy and mineral resources needed to power our future?
Mapping America’s Hidden Electrical Risks: How the USMTArray’s 3D Survey Transforms Grid Security Against Solar Storms
Overview
The USMTArray project, launched in 2006, achieved the first comprehensive three-dimensional electrical map of the continental United States by using electrical measurements to reveal the deep geological structure beneath the surface. This groundbreaking model traces the movement of ancient landmasses, identifies stable regions, and detects features like ancient subduction zones marked by conductive minerals. These insights not only clarify how North America formed but also expose how variations in underground conductivity affect the risks posed by solar storms to the power grid. The project’s findings enable more precise risk assessment and targeted strategies to protect critical infrastructure.