Christopher Balch
Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA

Paul A. Bedrosian
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA;
Crustal Geophysics, United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA

Stephen W. Cuttler
Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA

Robyn A. D. Fiori
Geomagnetic Laboratory, Canadian Hazards Information Service, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Kevin F. Forbes
The Busch School of Business and Department of Economics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA

Maryam Kazerooni
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA

Anna Kelbert
Geomagnetism Program, United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA;
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

Jeffrey J. Love
Geomagnetism Program, United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA

Greg M. Lucas
Geomagnetism Program, United States Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA

Esteban Bowles‐Martinez
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

Benjamin S. Murphy
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

Chigomezyo M. Ngwira
Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA;
Goddard Space Flight Center, Space Weather Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Thomas J. Overbye
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

Antti A. Pulkkinen
Goddard Space Flight Center, Space Weather Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MA, USA

E. Joshua Rigler
Geomagnetism Program, United States Geological Survey, Golden, CO, USA

Adam Schultz
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

Komal S. Shetye
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

O. C. St. Cyr
Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD, USA

D. R. Weimer
Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Center for Space Science and Engineering Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA;
National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Virginia, USA

Daniel Welling

University of Texas at Arlington Physics Department, Arlington, TX, USA

Michael Wiltberger
High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA

L. M. Winter
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA

J. R. Woodroffe
Space Science and Applications, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA

When beginning work in the study of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs), one of the most common difficulties experienced by a researcher is in overcoming, and eventually embracing, the interdisciplinary nature of the field. To understand the GIC process from start to end, we must understand a little bit of solar physics, space weather, geophysics, and power engineering – fields with completely different applications, expertise, and language. At a typical university, these disciplines are often in different departments, and likely in completely different schools. Overcoming disciplinary barriers takes a willingness to leave behind the high degree of specialization that the academic path requires and become a novice in at least one new field. This is daunting for most of us.

GIC research is also highly applied. Because of the potential for extreme GICs to damage critical power grid infrastructure, there is a great deal of societal importance. New research may have a significant effect on industry and government. This real‐world relevance is often what draws us to the field, but means that there are also practical considerations. Given the wide range of backgrounds and priorities among participants in the field, it is no wonder that there are sometimes disagreements, but also great potential for cross‐pollination of ideas and information.

Some of these differences will be apparent in this book. The book is presented in three parts – Space Weather, Geomagnetic Induction, and Power System Impacts. Each section is curated by an editor in the particular subfield, with authors invited from among the leading experts in the field. We have endeavored to include a range of expertise and backgrounds, and each of the authors has provided a perspective on their topic aimed at experts in adjacent fields. This book would not exist without the hard work of these authors, for which we are extremely grateful and humbled that they would join us in this effort. We hope that the result is a practical, interdisciplinary introduction to a full range of topics relevant to the GIC problem.

We hope that you, as a reader of this book, find it useful as a bridge to a new discipline within the broad range of GIC topics, or perhaps even find something new within your own specialty.