Aurora in Paratunka on April 21, 2025

Results of continuous monitoring over the Earth’s magnetic field state, carried out at Paratunka Complex Geophysical Observatory of IKIR FEB RAS, showed development of geomagnetic disturbances from the evening on April 21, 2025, until morning on April 22, 2025 LT.

The local K-index of geomagnetic activity reached 5 (see the figure). The planetary index of geomagnetic disturbance Kp was also estimated as 5 (at the possible maximum of 9), i.e. the observed variations are classified as a «small magnetic storm».

The all-sky camera installed at the Institute, recorded illumination in the line of 630.0 nm. It covered the northern part of the sky near the horizon, which can be considered as aurora of average intensity.

Of course, this aurora is hardly comparable with that on November 9, 2024, however due to the clear sky, it was also visible.

The figure shows the expected locations of the auroral oval (for 30-60 minutes), which were published by the USA Space Weather Prediction Center.

On that night, the Earth passed through the accelerated flux of the solar wind, the velocity reached 700 km/s. The illumination times corresponded to the time intervals when the interplanetary field was southward (up to -13 nTl), and the Earth’s magnetosphere was «open» for solar plasma penetration. Based on the illumination dimensions on the camera images, the aurora «certain» covered northern regions of Kamchatka.

Frequent auroras over the last years are associated with increased solar activity as the Sun is now passing through the maximum activity of its cycle. However, on the whole for our region, just like for the whole Siberia, increase of auroral activity is likely to be caused by the north magnetic pole drift in the direction of the eastern Siberia.

If the drift velocity does not change, then the pole will be near the coast of Taymyr by 2050 which may affect the auroral oval shift to more southern latitudes. Then the population of the southern Kamchatka will observe auroras more often.

At the same time, this beautiful phenomenon may have negative impact on the stability of electric power networks operation causing geomagnetically induced currents in them.

It is interesting that according to the monitoring data of the harmonic composition of the circuit voltage from the Paratunka Complex Geophysical observatory of IKIR FEB RAS, the level of the 6-th harmonics (300 Hz) in Paratunka electric power networks was slightly increased on that night.

As a rule, occurrences of even harmonics in a network are associated with geomagnetically induced currents impact on power transformers on high-voltage electric transmission lines. The papers of IKIR FEB RAS researchers devoted to the impact of these currents on Kamchatka electric power networks can be found here.