Objectives of the service
Geomagnetic storms are space weather events with strong disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field. This affects magnetic navigation methods and magnetic surveys in resource exploration.
Geomagnetic storms also cause geoelectric fields in the ground and geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in electric power lines and transformers. The GICs can affect the operation and safety of the power grid and cause damage. Large-scale power outages lead to enormous knock-on effects with vast costs for individuals, companies, society and insurers.
MagWatch3D is an online service that gives stakeholders continuously situational awareness and high-resolution intelligence on
- geomagnetic disturbance at various altitude levels
- geoelectric fields at ground level or in the sea.
- geomagnetically induced currents (GICs)
The service is intended for power grid operators as well as other operators of large, electrically conducting infrastructures like train networks and pipelines and their insurance companies. It is also intended for users of geomagnetic data in geology, geophysics and navigation.
Users and their needs
Owing to its fully data and physics-based concept, MagWatch3D covers diverse user groups and their needs, including:
- Geophysicists and geologists can correct magnetic surveys for resource exploration, both during normal conditions and during geomagnetic storms.
- Reduced error and uncertainty in magnetic maps and magnetic measurements used for navigation.
- Power grid operators can visualise the high-definition geoelectric field and GICs using interactive maps and time series, integrating them into their power grid monitoring and operations.
- Power companies can evaluate historic risk levels for planning of new infrastructure
- Insurers can assess current and historic risk levels, make decisions regarding GIC-related claims, and adjust insurance policies to fit region-specific risks
The MagWatch3D service is also available through an API for automatic integration into workflows, allowing stakeholders to manage their current operations efficiently and safely.
The full high-resolution MagWatch3D service can be made available for Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia. A geomagnetic disturbance product can be made available globally.
Service/ system concept
Near real-time magnetic data is continuously downloaded into the secure MagWatch3D server. This data is combined with high-resolution subsurface electric conductivity information. A very fast data-assimilation method based on the principles of electromagnetism then predicts the magnetic and electric field in a large area with high spatial resolution. Consequently, induced currents in infrastructure like power girds are calculated. This information is then distributed via the MagWatch3D web-interface or API.
Users have access to fast, high resolution electromagnetic space weather intelligence. Geophysicists and geologists can perform magnetic surveys for resource exploration during magnetically active conditions and magnetic storms. Power grid operators can visualise maps and time series of the geoelectric field and induced current and relate them to their power grid monitoring and operations.
Power companies and their insurers can quantify present and historic levels of risks when planning new infrastructures and insurance policies.
Space Added Value
ESA and numerous research institutions worldwide are collecting magnetic data in space, e.g., by ESA’s Swarm mission, and on the ground, e.g., by national magnetic observatory programs. This is an already existing, valuable resource to quantify and mitigate space weather effects, especially with respect to electric power grids. However, these measurements are sparsely distributed in space. Magnetic observatories, for example, typically have distances of several 100s to 1000s of kilometres between them.
But the strength of the geoelectric field and the GICs depends strongly on location, like latitude, the distance to the ocean, or the geological structure in the vicinity. By combining the magnetic data with high-resolution models of electric subsurface conductivity, MagWatch3D achieves the necessary spatial resolution. MagWatch3D provides situational awareness on a scale of less than 10 km that otherwise could only be achieved by thousands of costly measurement points for geoelectric field or GICs. Furthermore, MagWatch3D is using data with a temporal resolution of 1 second, as lower time resolution would underestimate the geoelectric field and GICs.
A key ingredient of the service are data license agreements with multiple data providers that are managed and maintained by Leomagnetics.
Current Status
User needs, requirements and feedback regarding the MagWatch3D service are collected through dedicated interviews with a variety of users, ranging from power grid operators to insurers, magnetic navigation service and magnetic survey providers.
A number of activities are directed at testing the feasibility of the MagWatch3D service:
- Magnetic disturbance and geoelectric field have been calculated and validated for recent space weather events including the magnetic storm of January 2026.
- Data license agreements are secured from key data providers.
- The data-assimilation method has been prepared for various regions worldwide.
- A secure server is currently being established to test the technical feasibility of data download, modelling, and data distribution to customers.
