Geomagnetically induced currents: The ultimate threat to system security

The effects - better expressed, the threats - of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) are now reasonably well known. GICs are supposed to be caused by electrically charged particles ejected from the Sun. These particles create ionospheric currents that ";mirror"; into Geomagnetically Induced Currents in the ground. It is believed that only high latitudes are vulnerable to these phenomena, which would not be likely to occur in tropics or equatorial regions. It is also believed that GICs occur during strong geomagnetic events - known as solar storms. This paper raises the hypothesis that, contrary to general belief, Geomagnetically Induced Currents may be the result of a broader Earth-Space interaction, and is not constrained neither to strong solar events nor to polar zones. It is shown that Earth is, in fact, immersed into Sun\´s magnetic field and deeply subject to its variations. The reaction of Earth may be invisible to the naked eye, but is powerful and can be detected, most of the time, by geomagnetic field measurements and processed satellite data.