The United States has been mapped from space to the ground across its surface; however never from the perspective of the planet’s own electrical heartbeat.
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The United States has been mapped from space to the ground across its surface; however never from the perspective of the planet’s own electrical heartbeat.
Over nearly two decades, the United States Magnetotelluric Array quietly marched across the country, station by station, building the first-ever electrical portrait of the crust and upper mantle beneath the contiguous U.S. An ambitious, multi‑agency effort spanning 2006 to 2024 aims to improve our understanding of: critical minerals, our continent’s deep structure, protecting the power grid from solar storms. The USMTArray provides the first continent‑wide map of Earth’s electrical structure beneath the United States.
, revealing everything from ancient tectonic scars to modern space‑weather vulnerabilities. By installing overto measure variations in our planet's magnetic and electric fields. These signals could vary depending on what type of rock sits underground. By analyzing this data, scientists can pinpoint where different types of rock come together.
Using these stations, a few valuable applications were produced such as a 3D model of the crust and mantle, a high resolution model for forecasting space weather hazards, and a national map to examine howComplete USMTArray and community magnetotelluric surveys in North America as of June 27, 2024. Magnetotelluric sites are distributed across the continental US and are represented with hundreds of inverted triangles including orange , blue , red , black and clear .
Magetic observatories are indicated with stars, three red and six black . Ten USGS variometers are indicated with pink 4-point stars.is one of the successes of the USMTArray project. It displays a snapshot of how electrical currents move through the ground across the United States. This map can identify how currents vary with depth from the surface to a depth of 100 miles or more!
AIM resulted in a consistent nationwide dataset that supports research ranging from mineral discovery to tectonic studies. Another unique outcome of the USMTArray project is a 3-D model of the United States crust and upper mantle. This 3-D model is similar to a snapshot of what is beneath our feet.
By harnessing this data, we can improve current scientific models by identifying different types of rock, as well as where fluids are found - both water and in some areas magma. The model also reveals the geologic puzzle pieces that were assembled over billions of years to form North America.
Enhancing our current scientific knowledge also allows us to improve space‑weather hazard forecasting to protect the electric infrastructure of the United States. where the ground is more or less conductive , which directly affects how much risk a region faces. This project produced a National Impedance Map and a high-resolution 3D electrical conductivity model of the nation.
Unlike older one-dimensional models that often under or overestimated risks, the USMTArray’s additions provide the precise local and directional data needed to accurately assess how the Earth's electrical architecture influences the impact of geomagnetic storms. Integrating the USMTArray dataset into the NOAA-USGS Geoelectric Field Map allows for real-time estimates of storm-induced ground currents across the country.
By allowing power companies to perform targeted real-time reconfigurations of the grid during magnetic superstorms, the USMTArray helps prevent widespread power blackouts and protects high-voltage transformers from permanent damage. move through Earth's crust and concentrate to become mineral deposits. Since 3D model spans most of the nation, it is ideal for prospectively analysis which feeds 'big data' - geologic and geophysical maps and models - into machine learning models to figure out which parts of the country are most likely to have yet-to-be-discovered mineral deposits..
Because conductivity is sensitive to temperature, the 3D model also reveals where the crust is hot, helping to guide geothermal exploration, particularly in the western US. Taking notes at a USMTArray station. The rigorous collection of electronic and handwritten field notes was critical to the success of the USMTArray. Installing an MT station in the southwestern US.
Installations in arid environments require special consideration to handle the extreme temperature fluctuations. Well over 50 students and early‑career researchers participated in the United States Magnetotelluric Array project through fieldwork, data processing, modeling, developing skills, gaining valuable work experience, and exploring career interests. Training the next generation of Earth scientists strengthens long‑term scientific programs by expanding university partnerships and mentorship opportunities. Early‑career researchers contribute new perspectives and innovative techniques that enhance ongoing scientific work.
These training efforts also help build a strong workforce pipeline, supporting students as they progress from academic programs into federal research roles. Additionally, early‑career researchers working in public‑safety–focused scientific programs gain a clear understanding of how their work directly benefits society. One legacy of the USMTArray is a focus on new data collection in areas at elevated risk from space-weather .
Starting in 2025, the USGS kicked off a project collecting magnetotelluric data in the mid-Atlantic states on a finer grid than the USMTArray and with instruments able to image both shallow and deep structure. As of April 2026, more than 135 stations across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Delaware have been covered with data collection moving to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the near future.
Modeling of these data will help refine hazard models along the Eastern Seaboard while helping to unravel the complex tectonic evolution of the Appalachian Mountains. Electrical resistivity of the upper crust, here shown at 2 km depth, beneath the contiguous U.S. Warm colors reveal thick sedimentary basins beneath the Great Plains and along the Gulf coast. Cool colors show resistive mountain ranges and uplifts.
Electrical resistivity at lower-crustal depths beneath the contiguous U.S. The architecture of the nation is revealed at this depth with warm colors marking active extension beneath the western U.S. The cratonic building blocks are resistive and were joined throughout geologic time along linear conductive sutures beneath the central and eastern U.S.Magnetic storms induce geoelectric fields at Earth's surface that can interfere with grounded long-line systems. The September 1859 storm disrupted global telegraph operations, the March 1989 storm caused a blackout in Canada and interfered with electric-power-transmission systems in the United States, and other storms have had related impacts.
The geographic and temporal dependence of... Using images from an updated and expanded three-dimensional electrical conductivity synthesis model for the contiguous United States , we highlight the key continent-scale geoelectric structures that are associated with the Precambrian assembly of southern Laurentia. Conductivity anomalies are associated with the Trans-Hudson orogen, the Penokean suture, the ca. 1.8–1.7 Ga...
The clean energy transition will require a vast increase in metal supply, yet new mineral deposit discoveries are declining, due in part to challenges associated with exploring under sedimentary and volcanic cover. Recently, several case studies have demonstrated links between lithospheric electrical conductors imaged using magnetotelluric data and mineral deposits, notably Iron...
Alison Kirkby, Karol Czarnota, David L. Huston, David C. Champion, Michael P. Doublier, Paul A. Bedrosian, Jinming Duan, Graham HeinsonA once-per-century geoelectric hazard map is created for the United States high-voltage power grid. A statistical extrapolation from 31 years of magnetic field measurements is made by identifying 84 geomagnetic storms with the Kp and Dst indices. Data from 24 geomagnetic observatories, 1079 magnetotelluric survey sites, and 17,258 transmission lines are utilized to perform a geoelectric...
The first 3D conductivity model of the contiguous US: Reflections on geologic structure and application to induction hazards The first 3D conductivity model of the contiguous US: Reflections on geologic structure and application to induction hazards Estimation of ground level geoelectric fields has been identified by the National Space Weather Action Plan as a key component of assessment and mitigation of space weather impacts on critical infrastructure. Estimates of spatially and temporally variable electric fields are used to generate statistically based hazard maps and show promise toward monitoring and responding to geomagneticIn reaching across traditional disciplinary boundaries, solid-Earth geophysicists and space physicists are forging new collaborations to map magnetic-storm hazards for electric-power grids.
Future progress in evaluation storm time geoelectric hazards will come primarily through monitoring, surveys, and modeling of related data. Making it and breaking it in the Midwest: Continental assembly and rifting from modeling of EarthScope magnetotelluric data Making it and breaking it in the Midwest: Continental assembly and rifting from modeling of EarthScope magnetotelluric data A three-dimensional lithospheric-scale resistivity model of the North American mid-continent has been estimated based upon EarthScope magnetotelluric data.
Details of the resistivity model are discussed in relation to lithospheric sutures, defined primarily from aeromagnetic and geochronologic data, which record the southward growth of the Laurentian margin in the Proterozoic. The...
Mapping geoelectric fields during magnetic storms: Synthetic analysis of empirical United States impedances Mapping geoelectric fields during magnetic storms: Synthetic analysis of empirical United States impedances Empirical impedance tensors obtained from EarthScope magnetotelluric data at sites distributed across the midwestern United States are used to examine the feasibility of mapping magnetic storm induction of geoelectric fields. With these tensors, in order to isolate the effects of Earth conductivity structure, we perform a synthetic analysis—calculating geoelectric field variations...
Structure and tectonics of the northwestern United States from EarthScope USArray magnetotelluric data Structure and tectonics of the northwestern United States from EarthScope USArray magnetotelluric data The magnetotelluric component of the EarthScope USArray program has covered over 35% of the continental United States. Resistivity tomography models derived from these data image lithospheric structure and provide constraints on the distribution of fluids and melt within the lithosphere. We present a three-dimensional resistivity model of the northwestern United States which provides new...
New strides have been made toward quantifying how geomagnetic storms can interfere with the nation’s electric-power grid systems. The United States has been mapped from space to the ground across its surface; however never from the perspective of the planet’s own electrical heartbeat.
Over nearly two decades, the United States Magnetotelluric Array quietly marched across the country, station by station, building the first-ever electrical portrait of the crust and upper mantle beneath the contiguous U.S. An ambitious, multi‑agency effort spanning 2006 to 2024 aims to improve our understanding of: critical minerals, our continent’s deep structure, protecting the power grid from solar storms. The USMTArray provides the first continent‑wide map of Earth’s electrical structure beneath the United States.
, revealing everything from ancient tectonic scars to modern space‑weather vulnerabilities. By installing overto measure variations in our planet's magnetic and electric fields. These signals could vary depending on what type of rock sits underground. By analyzing this data, scientists can pinpoint where different types of rock come together.
Using these stations, a few valuable applications were produced such as a 3D model of the crust and mantle, a high resolution model for forecasting space weather hazards, and a national map to examine howComplete USMTArray and community magnetotelluric surveys in North America as of June 27, 2024. Magnetotelluric sites are distributed across the continental US and are represented with hundreds of inverted triangles including orange , blue , red , black and clear .
Magetic observatories are indicated with stars, three red and six black . Ten USGS variometers are indicated with pink 4-point stars.is one of the successes of the USMTArray project. It displays a snapshot of how electrical currents move through the ground across the United States. This map can identify how currents vary with depth from the surface to a depth of 100 miles or more!
AIM resulted in a consistent nationwide dataset that supports research ranging from mineral discovery to tectonic studies. Another unique outcome of the USMTArray project is a 3-D model of the United States crust and upper mantle. This 3-D model is similar to a snapshot of what is beneath our feet.
By harnessing this data, we can improve current scientific models by identifying different types of rock, as well as where fluids are found - both water and in some areas magma. The model also reveals the geologic puzzle pieces that were assembled over billions of years to form North America.
Enhancing our current scientific knowledge also allows us to improve space‑weather hazard forecasting to protect the electric infrastructure of the United States. where the ground is more or less conductive , which directly affects how much risk a region faces. This project produced a National Impedance Map and a high-resolution 3D electrical conductivity model of the nation.
Unlike older one-dimensional models that often under or overestimated risks, the USMTArray’s additions provide the precise local and directional data needed to accurately assess how the Earth's electrical architecture influences the impact of geomagnetic storms. Integrating the USMTArray dataset into the NOAA-USGS Geoelectric Field Map allows for real-time estimates of storm-induced ground currents across the country.
By allowing power companies to perform targeted real-time reconfigurations of the grid during magnetic superstorms, the USMTArray helps prevent widespread power blackouts and protects high-voltage transformers from permanent damage. move through Earth's crust and concentrate to become mineral deposits. Since 3D model spans most of the nation, it is ideal for prospectively analysis which feeds 'big data' - geologic and geophysical maps and models - into machine learning models to figure out which parts of the country are most likely to have yet-to-be-discovered mineral deposits..
Because conductivity is sensitive to temperature, the 3D model also reveals where the crust is hot, helping to guide geothermal exploration, particularly in the western US. Taking notes at a USMTArray station. The rigorous collection of electronic and handwritten field notes was critical to the success of the USMTArray. Installing an MT station in the southwestern US.
Installations in arid environments require special consideration to handle the extreme temperature fluctuations. Well over 50 students and early‑career researchers participated in the United States Magnetotelluric Array project through fieldwork, data processing, modeling, developing skills, gaining valuable work experience, and exploring career interests. Training the next generation of Earth scientists strengthens long‑term scientific programs by expanding university partnerships and mentorship opportunities. Early‑career researchers contribute new perspectives and innovative techniques that enhance ongoing scientific work.
These training efforts also help build a strong workforce pipeline, supporting students as they progress from academic programs into federal research roles. Additionally, early‑career researchers working in public‑safety–focused scientific programs gain a clear understanding of how their work directly benefits society. One legacy of the USMTArray is a focus on new data collection in areas at elevated risk from space-weather .
Starting in 2025, the USGS kicked off a project collecting magnetotelluric data in the mid-Atlantic states on a finer grid than the USMTArray and with instruments able to image both shallow and deep structure. As of April 2026, more than 135 stations across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Delaware have been covered with data collection moving to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the near future.
Modeling of these data will help refine hazard models along the Eastern Seaboard while helping to unravel the complex tectonic evolution of the Appalachian Mountains. Electrical resistivity of the upper crust, here shown at 2 km depth, beneath the contiguous U.S. Warm colors reveal thick sedimentary basins beneath the Great Plains and along the Gulf coast. Cool colors show resistive mountain ranges and uplifts.
Electrical resistivity at lower-crustal depths beneath the contiguous U.S. The architecture of the nation is revealed at this depth with warm colors marking active extension beneath the western U.S. The cratonic building blocks are resistive and were joined throughout geologic time along linear conductive sutures beneath the central and eastern U.S.Magnetic storms induce geoelectric fields at Earth's surface that can interfere with grounded long-line systems. The September 1859 storm disrupted global telegraph operations, the March 1989 storm caused a blackout in Canada and interfered with electric-power-transmission systems in the United States, and other storms have had related impacts.
The geographic and temporal dependence of... Using images from an updated and expanded three-dimensional electrical conductivity synthesis model for the contiguous United States , we highlight the key continent-scale geoelectric structures that are associated with the Precambrian assembly of southern Laurentia. Conductivity anomalies are associated with the Trans-Hudson orogen, the Penokean suture, the ca. 1.8–1.7 Ga...
The clean energy transition will require a vast increase in metal supply, yet new mineral deposit discoveries are declining, due in part to challenges associated with exploring under sedimentary and volcanic cover. Recently, several case studies have demonstrated links between lithospheric electrical conductors imaged using magnetotelluric data and mineral deposits, notably Iron...
Alison Kirkby, Karol Czarnota, David L. Huston, David C. Champion, Michael P. Doublier, Paul A. Bedrosian, Jinming Duan, Graham HeinsonA once-per-century geoelectric hazard map is created for the United States high-voltage power grid. A statistical extrapolation from 31 years of magnetic field measurements is made by identifying 84 geomagnetic storms with the Kp and Dst indices. Data from 24 geomagnetic observatories, 1079 magnetotelluric survey sites, and 17,258 transmission lines are utilized to perform a geoelectric...
The first 3D conductivity model of the contiguous US: Reflections on geologic structure and application to induction hazards The first 3D conductivity model of the contiguous US: Reflections on geologic structure and application to induction hazards Estimation of ground level geoelectric fields has been identified by the National Space Weather Action Plan as a key component of assessment and mitigation of space weather impacts on critical infrastructure. Estimates of spatially and temporally variable electric fields are used to generate statistically based hazard maps and show promise toward monitoring and responding to geomagneticIn reaching across traditional disciplinary boundaries, solid-Earth geophysicists and space physicists are forging new collaborations to map magnetic-storm hazards for electric-power grids.
Future progress in evaluation storm time geoelectric hazards will come primarily through monitoring, surveys, and modeling of related data. Making it and breaking it in the Midwest: Continental assembly and rifting from modeling of EarthScope magnetotelluric data Making it and breaking it in the Midwest: Continental assembly and rifting from modeling of EarthScope magnetotelluric data A three-dimensional lithospheric-scale resistivity model of the North American mid-continent has been estimated based upon EarthScope magnetotelluric data.
Details of the resistivity model are discussed in relation to lithospheric sutures, defined primarily from aeromagnetic and geochronologic data, which record the southward growth of the Laurentian margin in the Proterozoic. The...
Mapping geoelectric fields during magnetic storms: Synthetic analysis of empirical United States impedances Mapping geoelectric fields during magnetic storms: Synthetic analysis of empirical United States impedances Empirical impedance tensors obtained from EarthScope magnetotelluric data at sites distributed across the midwestern United States are used to examine the feasibility of mapping magnetic storm induction of geoelectric fields. With these tensors, in order to isolate the effects of Earth conductivity structure, we perform a synthetic analysis—calculating geoelectric field variations...
Structure and tectonics of the northwestern United States from EarthScope USArray magnetotelluric data Structure and tectonics of the northwestern United States from EarthScope USArray magnetotelluric data The magnetotelluric component of the EarthScope USArray program has covered over 35% of the continental United States. Resistivity tomography models derived from these data image lithospheric structure and provide constraints on the distribution of fluids and melt within the lithosphere. We present a three-dimensional resistivity model of the northwestern United States which provides new...
New strides have been made toward quantifying how geomagnetic storms can interfere with the nation’s electric-power grid systems.
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