Towards the estimation of Space Weather-related corrosion on pipelines

<p>Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC), increased during space weather events, are able to interfere with pipeline corrosion protections systems and potentially can increase corrosion of the pipeline steel.</p><p>Methods, widely used for the evaluation of annual corrosion rates, are based on exposure of steel to constant currents and voltages (DC), or alternating currents and voltages of a constant frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz), while GIC are characterised by a continuous frequency spectrum, with the range of frequencies from 10<sup>-5</sup> Hz to 1 Hz.</p><p>This paper introduces the methods for use in the estimation of corrosion rates on pipeline steel produced by GIC (commonly referred to as “telluric currents” in the pipeline industry) and provides results calculated for specific time periods with use of available recordings made on pipelines at the times of geomagnetic storms. As well, annual cumulative corrosion rates are estimated based on the modelling of pipeline currents and voltages.</p><p>In addition to the detailed presentation of the methods utilised, a comparison of corrosion rates produced by telluric variations on non-protected and protected pipelines located in mid- and high-latitudes is presented.</p>

Dynamics of ionospheric and telluric currents during large events of geomagnetically induced currents

<p>Geomagnetic variations are mainly produced by external currents in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, and secondarily by induced (internal/telluric) currents in the conducting Earth. Large geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) are associated with large time derivatives of the horizontal magnetic field. Recent results show that the time derivative is typically dominated by the contribution from the telluric currents. Our study aims to find measures to quantify the behaviour of external and internal currents and their time derivatives during large GIC events. Results of this study show that strong external currents have quite narrow directional distributions. Angular variation is larger for internal currents, and especially for their time derivatives. For external currents angular variation is larger at higher latitudes. Similar behaviour is not seen with internal currents.</p>

Induced currents due to 3D ground conductivity play a major role in the interpretation of geomagnetic variations

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are directly described by ground electric fields, but estimating them is time-consuming and requires knowledge of the ionospheric currents and the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the electrical conductivity of the Earth. The time derivative of the horizontal component of the ground magnetic field (dH∕dt) is closely related to the electric field via Faraday's law and provides a convenient proxy for the GIC risk. However, forecasting dH∕dt still remains a challenge. We use 25 years of 10 s data from the northern European International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects (IMAGE) magnetometer network to show that part of this problem stems from the fact that, instead of the primary ionospheric currents, the measured dH∕dt is dominated by the signature from the secondary induced telluric currents at nearly all IMAGE stations. The largest effects due to telluric currents occur at coastal sites close to high-conducting ocean water and close to near-surface conductivity anomalies. The secondary magnetic field contribution to the total field is a few tens of percent, in accordance with earlier studies. Our results have been derived using IMAGE data and are thus only valid for the stations involved. However, it is likely that the main principle also applies to other areas. Consequently, it is recommended that the field separation into internal (telluric) and external (ionospheric and magnetospheric) parts is performed whenever feasible (i.e., a dense observation network is available).

Evaluation of possible corrosion enhancement due to telluric currents: case study of the Bolivia–Brazil pipeline

The electric field induced in the Bolivia–Brazil gas pipeline (GASBOL) was calculated by using the distributed source line transmission (DSLT) theory during several space weather events. We used geomagnetic data collected by a fluxgate magnetometer located at São José dos Campos (23.2∘ S, 45.9∘ W). The total corrosion rate was calculated by using the Gummow (2002) methodology and was based on the assumption of a 1 cm hole in the coating of the pipeline. The calculations were performed at the ends of pipeline where the largest “out-of-phase” pipe-to-soil potential (PSP) variations were obtained. The variations in PSP during the 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm have led to the greatest corrosion rate of the analyzed events. All the space weather events evaluated with high terminating impedance may have contributed to increases in the corrosion process. The applied technique can be used to evaluate the corrosion rate due to the high telluric activity associated with the geomagnetic storms at specific locations.

Induced telluric currents play a major role in the interpretation of geomagnetic variations

Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) are directly described by ground electric fields, but estimating them is time-consuming and requires knowledge of the ionospheric currents as well as the three-dimensional distribution of the electrical conductivity of the Earth. The time derivative of the horizontal component of the ground magnetic field (dH/dt) is closely related to the electric field via Faraday's law, and provides a convenient proxy for the GIC risk. However, forecasting dH/dt still remains a challenge. We use 25 years of 10 s data from the North European International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects (IMAGE) magnetometer network to show that part of this problem stems from the fact that instead of the primary ionospheric currents, the measured dH/dt is dominated by the signature from the secondary induced telluric currents nearly at all IMAGE stations. The largest effects due to telluric currents occur at coastal sites close to highly-conducting ocean water and close to near-surface conductivity anomalies. The secondary magnetic field contribution to the total field is a few tens of percent, in accordance with earlier studies. Our results have been derived using IMAGE data and are thus only valid for the involved stations. However, it is likely that the main principle also applies to other areas. Consequently, it is recommended that the field separation into internal (telluric) and external (ionospheric and magnetospheric) parts is performed whenever feasible, i.e., a dense observation network is available.

Evaluation of pipeline corrosion rates due to enhanced telluric activity associated with space weather

<p>Telluric currents are the natural phenomena especially pronounced in the high latitude areas (above 60 degrees). These currents, as any stray current, are able to interfere with pipeline cathodic protection systems, and came into wide consideration with construction of pipelines in northern areas, where the geomagnetic variations are more severe and last for prolonged times.</p><p>The paper will explain the approach developed for estimation of pipeline corrosion rates due to telluric activity, and results of its applications.</p><p>Statistical evaluation of the occurrence rates for the pipe-to-soil potential difference values based on modelling of the pipeline response to the geomagnetic activity in two different locations (high latitude and mid-latitude) will be combined with the method developed for calculation of corrosion rate (metal loss). The presented approach and results of its application to different types of pipelines located at different latitudes can be used as a practical guidance for the assessments of the space weather impacts on pipeline operations.</p>

Telluric currents play a big role in interpreting geomagnetic variations

<p>Fast geomagnetic variations of periods from seconds to hours and days are primarily produced by currents in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. There is always an associated secondary (internal, telluric) current system induced in the conducting ground and contributing to the total variation field measured by ground magnetometers. Mathematically, it is possible to fully explain the variation field by two equivalent current systems, one at the ionospheric altitude and another just below the ground. In practice, this separation is feasible using dense magnetometer networks.</p><p>A common way in space physics has been to implicitly neglect the internal part and interpret the ground field only in terms of ionospheric currents. As known from previous studies, this is often a reasonable assumption, since a typical internal contribution is about 30%. However, the situation is much different when the time derivative of the magnetic field (dB/dt) is considered. For the north European IMAGE magnetometer network, the internal part exceeds the external one nearly at all stations. The largest effects due to telluric currents occur at coastal sites close to highly-conducting ocean water and at inland locations close to highly-conducting near-surface anomalies.</p><p>This finding gives a new viewpoint for studies of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC), which are closely related to dB/dt. One key question is to understand which are the ionospheric drivers of big GIC events. We will demonstrate how the telluric currents can strongly modify field variations and especially dB/dt, and how this is correspondingly seen in equivalent current patterns. Consequently, it is recommended that the field separation is performed whenever it is feasible, i.e. a dense observation network is available.</p>