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Many of our generation’s most pressing environmental science problems are wicked problems, which means they cannot be cleanly isolated and solved with a single ‘correct’ answer (e.g., Rittel 1973; Wirz 2021). The NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography (AI2ES) seeks to address such problems by developing synergistic approaches with a team of scientists from three disciplines: environmental science (including atmospheric, ocean, and other physical sciences), AI, and social science including risk communication. As part of our work, we developed a novel approach to summer school, held from June 27-30, 2022. The goal of this summer school was to teach a new generation of environmental scientists how to cross disciplines and develop approaches that integrate all three disciplinary perspectives and approaches in order to solve environmental science problems. In addition to a lecture series that focused on the synthesis of AI, environmental science, and risk communication, this year’s summer school included a unique Trust-a-thon component where participants gained hands-on experience applying both risk communication and explainable AI techniques to pre-trained ML models. We had 677 participants from 63 countries register and attend online. Lecture topics included trust and trustworthiness (Day 1), explainability and interpretability (Day 2), data and workflows (Day 3), and uncertainty quantification (Day 4). For the Trust-a-thon we developed challenge problems for three different application domains: (1) severe storms, (2) tropical cyclones, and (3) space weather. Each domain had associated user persona to guide user-centered development.

Magnetospheric ultralow‐frequency (ULF) waves contribute to space weather in the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. The monitoring of these waves by space‐ and ground‐based instruments, however, produces big data, which are difficult to navigate, mine, and analyze effectively. We present sonification, the process of converting an oscillatory time series into audible sound, and citizen science, where members of the public contribute to scientific investigations, as a means to potentially help tackle these issues. Magnetometer data in the ULF range at geostationary orbit have been sonified and released to London high schools as part of exploratory projects. While this approach reduces the overall likelihood of useful results from any particular group of citizen scientists compared to typical citizen science projects, it promotes independent learning and problem solving by all participants and can result in a small number of unexpected research outcomes. We present one such example, a case study identified by a group of students of decreasing‐frequency poloidal field line resonances over multiple days found to occur during the recovery phase of a coronal mass ejection‐driven geomagnetic storm. Simultaneous plasma density measurements show that the decreasing frequencies were due to the refilling of the plasmasphere following the storm. The waves were likely generated by internal plasma processes. Further exploration of the audio revealed many similar events following other major storms; thus, they are much more common than previously thought. We therefore highlight the potential of sonification and exploratory citizen science in addressing some of the challenges facing ULF wave research.

We use Van Allen Probes (Radiation Belt Storm Probes A and B, henceforth RBSP-A and RBSP-B) and GOES-13 and GOES-15 (henceforth G-13 and G-15) multipoint magnetic field, electric field, plasma, and energetic particle observations to study the spatial, temporal, and spectral characteristics of compressional Pc5 pulsations observed during the recovery phase of a strong geomagnetic storm on 1 January 2016. From ∼ 19:00 to 23:02 UT, successive magnetospheric compressions enhanced the peak-to-peak amplitudes of Pc5 waves with 4.5–6.0 mHz frequencies from 0–2 to 10–15 nT at both RBSP-A and RBSP-B, particularly in the prenoon magnetosphere. Poloidal Pc4 pulsations with frequencies of ∼ 22–29 mHz were present in the radial Bx component. The frequencies of these Pc4 pulsations diminished with increasing radial distance, as expected for resonant Alfvén waves standing along field lines. The GOES spacecraft observed Pc5 pulsations with similar frequencies to those seen by the RBSP but Pc4 pulsations with lower frequencies. Both RBSP-A and RBSP-B observed frequency doubling in the compressional component of the magnetic field during the Pc5 waves, indicating a meridional sloshing of the equatorial node over a combined range in ZSM from 0.25 to −0.08 Re, suggesting that the amplitude of this meridional oscillation was ∼ 0.16 Re about an equatorial node whose mean position was near ZSM=∼0.08 Re. RBSP-A and RBSP-B HOPE (Helium Oxygen Proton Electron) and MagEIS (Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer) observations provide the first evidence for a corresponding frequency doubling in the plasma density and the flux of energetic electrons, respectively. Energetic electron fluxes oscillated out of phase with the magnetic field strength with no phase shift at any energy. In the absence of any significant solar wind trigger or phase shift with energy, we interpret the compressional Pc5 pulsations in terms of the mirror-mode instability.

Simultaneous bursts of EMIC and longer-period ULF waves were observed by the GOES-16 magnetometer on the 11 January and the 7 September 2017. No correlation was found between the repeat times of EM...

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R Series Magnetometer (MAG) observes the vector magnetic field at the spacecraft location as the satellites circle Earth at geostationary orbit. The MAG has specifications similar to previous GOES Magnetometers except with a higher sample rate of 10 samples/s and with the anti-aliasing low-pass filter at 2.5 Hz instead of 0.5 Hz as in previous GOES Series. The GOES-R MAG observations of the geomagnetic field are used to identify and forecast the severity of space weather activity and they can provide one of the first indications that significant space weather has reached Earth. The new MAG space weather products developed for the GOES-R era are the alternative coordinate systems data product, a magnetic field model product, and the automated magnetopause location and crossing detection product. In addition, a 1-min data product is provided for consistency with current GOES Magnetometer products and MAG data are also provided at the full 10-Hz resolution as part of the alternative coordinate systems data product.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’s (NOAA’s) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) constellation has provided users with well-calibrated and validated satellite data enabling the dissemination of key environmental products to stakeholders for more than 40 years. The latest series of four satellites, referred to as the GOES-R Series (GOES R, S, T, U), provides continuity for the next generation of users and offers the first significant upgrade in instrument capability in decades. Six new and improved instruments to observe Earth, the Sun, and the space weather environment were developed for each of the four satellites in the GOES-R Series as well as a new ground system for product generation, access, and distribution. This book is intended to serve the reader as an introduction and overview to the capabilities and products enhanced by select imagery (and e-book animations) to aid in understanding how the information can and will be used in decision support services.

We employ multipoint observations of the Van Allen Probes, THEMIS, GOES and Cluster to present case and statistical studies of the electromagnetic field, plasma and particle response to interplanetary (IP) shocks observed by the Wind satellite. On 27 February 2014 the initial encounter of an IP shock with the magnetopause occurred on the postnoon magnetosphere, consistent with the observed alignment of the shock with the spiral IMF. The dayside equatorial magnetosphere exhibited a dusk–dawn oscillatory electrical field with a period of ∼330 s and peak-to-peak amplitudes of ∼15 mV m−1 for a period of 30 min. The intensity of electrons in the energy range from 31.5 to 342 KeV responded with periods corresponding to the shock-induced ULF (ultralow frequency) electric field waves. We then perform a statistical study of Ey variations of the electric field and associated plasma drift flow velocities for 60 magnetospheric events during the passage of interplanetary shocks. The Ey perturbations are negative (dusk-to-dawn) in the dayside magnetosphere (followed by positive or oscillatory perturbations) and dominantly positive (dawn-to-dusk direction) in the nightside magnetosphere, particularly near the Sun–Earth line within an L-shell range from 2.5 to 5. The typical observed amplitudes range from 0.2 to 6 mV m−1 but can reach 12 mV during strong magnetic storms. We show that electric field perturbations increase with solar wind pressure, and the changes are especially marked in the dayside magnetosphere. The direction of the Vx component of plasma flow is in agreement with the direction of the Ey component and is antisunward at all local times except the nightside magnetosphere, where it is sunward near the Sun–Earth line. The flow velocities Vx range from 0. 2 to 40 km s−1 and are a factor of 5 to 10 times stronger near noon as they correspond to greater variations of the electric field in this region. We demonstrate that the shock-induced electric field signatures can be classified into four different groups according to the initial Ey electric field response and these signatures are dependent on local time. Negative and bipolar pulses predominate on the dayside while positive pulses occur on the nightside. The ULF electric field pulsations of Pc and Pi types produced by IP shocks are observed at all local times and in the range of periods from several tens of seconds to several minutes. We believe that most electric field pulsations of the Pc5 type in the dayside magnetosphere at L<6 are produced by field line resonances. We show that the direction of the shock normal determines the direction of the propagation of the shock-induced magnetic and plasma disturbances. The observed directions of velocity Vy predominately agree with those expected for the given spiral or orthospiral shock normal orientation.

Between 4 and 10 September 2017, multiple solar eruptions occurred from active region AR12673. NOAA and NASA’s well-instrumented spacecraft observed the evolution of these geoeffective events from ...

Space assets are continuously bathed by charged particles making their components susceptible to the effects of spacecraft charging. While their orbits are not embedded within the radiation belts, low earth orbiting assets with high inclinations do pass through the horns of these belts during each polar crossing, transiting through potentially dangerous charged particle populations many times per day. Occasionally, these low altitude horns include significant populations of energetic ~1 MeV electrons, which can penetrate typical spacecraft shielding and accumulate within dielectric materials and on ungrounded conductors, a process known as internal charging. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) have experienced on-orbit anomalies in the boost voltage regulator (BVR) that is suspected to be associated with the accumulation and discharge of ~800 keV electrons. We have used observations from the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) instrument and a first principles model of charge accumulation [11] to develop estimates of electron internal charge (IC) accumulation over the lifetime of each POES and Metop spacecraft for a range of typical discharge time constants. With the advantage afforded by a larger database of anomalies, we are able to show that these BVR anomalies are generally not attributable in a simple way to the accumulation and subsequent discharge from >800 keV nor a higher fluence of lower energy >300 keV electrons. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents the first long-term estimates of IC for spacecraft in highly inclined low earth orbits.

When transionospheric radio waves propagate through an irregular ionosphere with plasma depletions or “bubbles,” they are subject to sporadic enhancement and fading, which is referred to as scintillation. Communication and navigation systems may be subject to these detrimental effects if the scintillation is strong enough. It is critical to have knowledge of the current ionospheric conditions so that system operators can distinguish between the natural radio environment and system-induced failures. In this paper we briefly describe the Forecasting Ionospheric Real-time Scintillation Tool UHF scintillation forecasting technique, which utilizes the observed characteristic parameter h′F from a ground-based, ionospheric sounder near the magnetic equator. The prereversal enhancement in vertical E × B drift velocity after sunset is the prime driver for creating plasma depletions and bubbles. In addition, there exists a “threshold” in the h′F value at 1930 LT, h′Fthr, such that, on any given evening, if h′F is significantly above h′Fthr, then scintillation activity is likely to occur, and if it is below h′Fthr, scintillation activity is unlikely to occur. We use this technique to explain the lack of scintillation activity prior to the Halloween storm in October 2003 in the Peruvian longitude sector. In addition, we have carried out a study which forecasts the occurrence or nonoccurrence of equatorial spread F (ESF), on a night-to-night basis, in five longitude sectors. The overall forecasting success is greater than 80% for each of the five longitude sectors.

There has long been interest in knowing the shape and location of the Earth's magnetopause and of the standing fast-mode bow shock upstream of the Earth's magnetosphere. This quest for knowledge spans both the research and operations arenas. Pertinent to the latter, nowcasting and near-term forecasting are important for determining the extent to which the magnetosphere is compressed or expanded due to the influence of the solar wind bulk plasma and fields and the coupling to other magnetosphere-ionosphere processes with possible effects on assets. This article provides an update to a previous article on the same topic published 15 years earlier, with focus on studies that have been conducted, the current status of nowcasting and forecasting of geophysical boundaries, and future endeavors.

We use magnetic field and plasma observations from the Van Allen Probes, Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system (GOES) spacecraft to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of long-lasting poloidal Pc4 pulsations in the dayside magnetosphere. The pulsations were observed after the main phase of a moderate storm during low geomagnetic activity. The pulsations occurred during various interplanetary conditions and the solar wind parameters do not seem to control the occurrence of the pulsations. The most striking feature of the Pc4 magnetic field pulsations was their occurrence at similar locations during three of four successive orbits. We used this information to study the latitudinal nodal structure of the pulsations and demonstrated that the latitudinal extent of the magnetic field pulsations did not exceed 2 Earth radii (RE). A phase shift between the azimuthal and radial components of the electric and magnetic fields was observed from ZSM = 0.30 RE to ZSM = −0.16 RE. We used magnetic and electric field data from Van Allen Probes to determine the structure of ULF waves. We showed that the Pc4 magnetic field pulsations were radially polarized and are the second-mode harmonic waves. We suggest that the spacecraft were near a magnetic field null during the second orbit when they failed to observe the magnetic field pulsations at the local times where pulsations were observed on previous and successive orbits. We investigated the spectral structure of the Pc4 pulsations. Each spacecraft observed a decrease of the dominant period as it moved to a smaller L shell (stronger magnetic field strength). We demonstrated that higher frequencies occurred at times and locations where Alfvén velocities were greater, i.e., on Orbit 1. There is some evidence that the periods of the pulsations increased during the plasmasphere refilling following the storm.

Since their inception in the 1970s, the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system has monitored the sources of space weather on the sun and the effects of space weather at Earth. These observations are important for providing forecasts, warnings and alerts to many customers, including satellite operators, the power utilities, and NASA’s human activities in space. The GOES magnetometer provides observations of the geomagnetic field, which can be the first indication that significant space weather has reached Earth. In addition, the magnetic field observations are used to identify and forecast the severity of the space weather activity. This paper reviews the capabilities of the GOES-16 magnetometer (MAG) and presents initial post-launch calibration/validation results including issues found in the data. The GOES-16 MAG requirements and capabilities are similar to those for previously flown instruments, measuring three components of the geomagnetic field but with an improved sampling rate of 10 samples/second. The MAG data are low-pass filtered with a 2.5 Hz cutoff compared to the 0.5 Hz cutoff of previous GOES magnetometers. The MAG is composed of two magnetometers, an inboard (closer to spacecraft bus) and outboard (on tip of boom) magnetometer. Presented are the science and instrument requirements, ground and initial on-orbit instrument calibration and data validation. The on-orbit analysis found magnetic contamination along with temperature dependency effects that resulted in unexpected instrument noise and decreased accuracy, with the issues generally more significant on the inboard magnetometer. The outboard sensor was used for initial analysis of MAG performance. Preliminary comparison, excluding arcjet firing periods, between the outboard magnetometer and the GOES-14 magnetometer found a statistical difference of 5 nT at $3\sigma $ for the total field. This comparison does not consider inaccuracies in the GOES-14 magnetometer. Future studies will focus on optimizing the outboard sensor performance.

著者人数: 102名（所属. 宇宙航空研究開発機構宇宙科学研究所 (JAXA)(ISAS): 松岡, 彩子; 篠原, 育; 浅村, 和史), Accepted: 2018-12-29, 資料番号: SA1180350000

The subauroral polarization stream (SAPS) is an important magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling phenomenon that impacts a range of particle populations in the inner magnetosphere. SAPS studies often emphasize ionospheric signatures of fast westward flows, but the equatorial magnetosphere is also affected through strong radial electric fields in the dusk sector. This study focuses on a period of steady southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during the 29 June 2013 geomagnetic storm where the Van Allen Probes observe a region of intense electric fields near the plasmapause over multiple consecutive outbound duskside passes. We show that the large-amplitude electric fields near the equatorial plane are consistent with SAPS by investigating the relationship between plasma sheet ion and electron boundaries, associated field-aligned currents, and the spatial location of the electric fields. By incorporating high-inclination DMSP data we demonstrate the spatial and temporal variability of the SAPS region, and we suggest that discrete, earthward propagating injections are driving the observed strong electric fields at low L shells in the equatorial magnetosphere. We also show the relationship between SAPS and plasmasphere erosion, as well as a possible correlation with flux enhancements for 100s keV electrons.

This study demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of using observations from low-Earth-orbit (LEO) to forecast and nowcast relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt. We first report a high cross-energy cross-pitch-angle coherence discovered between the trapped MeV electrons and precipitating ~100s keV electrons—observed by satellites with very different altitudes—with correlation coefficients as high as ≳ 0.85. Based upon the coherence, we then tested the feasibility of applying linear prediction filters to LEO data to predict the arrival of new MeV electrons during geomagnetic storms, as well as their evolving distributions afterwards. Reliability of these predictive filters is quantified by the performance efficiency with values as high as 0.74 when driven merely by LEO observations (or up to 0.94 with the inclusion of in-situ MeV electron measurements). Finally, a hypothesis based upon the wave-particle resonance theory is proposed to explain the coherence, and a first-principle electron tracing model yields supporting evidence.

Variations in ionospheric total electron content (TEC) associated with ultralow frequency (ULF) magnetic field variations in the Pc4 (6.7–22.0 mHz) frequency band were observed in the early morning sector. TEC variations were observed by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut (56.54°N, 280.77°E), which is located near the equatorward edge of the auroral region. Small-amplitude Pc4 ULF waves were observed by the Sanikiluaq ground magnetometer and by the geosynchronous GOES 13 satellite. TEC and magnetic field both exhibited narrowband, highly regular, quasi-sinusoidal waveforms, with high correlation and coherence indicating a clear link between TEC variations and Pc4 ULF activity. Variations in TEC and 30–50 keV electron flux observed by GOES 13 were also highly correlated and coherent. TEC variations observed directly above Sanikiluaq were in antiphase with eastward magnetic field variations on the ground, while TEC variations observed at the footprint of the GOES 13 satellite were in phase with GOES radial magnetic field and 30–50 keV electron flux. Intermittent occurrence of TEC variations observed by multiple GPS satellites indicated a localized ionospheric response to the Pc4 activity. This is the first clear evidence of a TEC response to these so called “giant pulsations (Pgs).” By applying a multisatellite triangulation technique, the phase velocity, group velocity, and azimuthal wave number of TEC variations were also calculated for an interval of highly coherent measurements. The phase and group propagation velocities were 2–7 km/s and 1–3 km/s north and westward, respectively, while the azimuthal wave number ranged from −35 to −310.

We present Van Allen Probe B observations of azimuthally limited, antisymmetric, poloidal Pc 4 electric and magnetic field pulsations in the pre-midnight sector of the magnetosphere from 05:40 to 06:00 UT on 1 May 2013. Oscillation periods were similar for the magnetic and electric fields and proton fluxes. The flux of energetic protons exhibited an energy-dependent response to the pulsations. Energetic proton variations were anticorrelated at medium and low energies. Although we attribute the pulsations to a drift-bounce resonance, we demonstrate that the energy-dependent response of the ion fluxes results from pulsation-associated velocities sweeping energy-dependent radial ion flux gradients back and forth past the spacecraft.

On February 27, 2014, the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) navigation service covering eastern Alaska and the northeastern continental United States, and the similar European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) covering northern Europe were both degraded due to a strong ionospheric storm that occurred during a relatively modest geomagnetic storm (Dst min ≈ − 94 nT). Similarly, on March 17, 2015, the St. Patrick's Day strong geomagnetic storm (Dst min ≈ − 223 nT) resulted in the most intense storm of the solar cycle to date with mid-latitude auroral sightings, and intense ionospheric irregularities. Finally, on June 22, 2015, a strong geomagnetic storm (Dst min ≈ − 204 nT) commenced following the impact of 3 coronal mass ejections (CMEs). All three events resulted in impacts to WAAS and EGNOS services over important coverage areas. This chapter focuses on operational data products available from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) for assessing the state of the space environment. We describe observations of the solar disk and the geospace radiation environment, and predictions of the energy input into the auroral region, and the resulting ionosphere response. We demonstrate that operational data help to follow the chain of events from Sun-to-Earth leading to disruptive space weather effects to technological systems such as spacecraft operations, radio communication, and aviation products. This chapter culminates in a discussion of how these storms impacted U.S. and European aviation systems. We emphasize: (i) significant degradation in performance of technological systems has been observed for three geomagnetic storms with Dst min ≲ − 100 nT, and (ii) if historically extreme events (e.g., a Carrington-like event) occurred today they, would lead to much more adverse effects for the considered systems.

For more than 40 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has continuously monitored the solar and near-Earth space environments in support of space weather operations. Data from this period have covered a wide range of geophysical conditions including periods of extreme space weather such as the great geomagnetic storm of Mar. 1989, the 2000 Bastille Day storm, and the 2003 Halloween storms. While not specifically addressed here, these storms have stressed our technology infrastructure in unexpected and surprising ways (see companion Chapter 24 of this volume). This chapter is focused on space weather data obtained from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) spacecraft. Signatures for extreme space weather events are in most cases readily apparent in the satellite data. Nevertheless, supporting space weather data from non-GOES sources are included in order to place the extreme cases in their overall environmental context. We present 12 cases of extreme space weather starting with the Mar. 1989 geomagnetic storm and ending with the Saint Patrick's Day storm of 2012. For each case study, an extensive literature search was performed to augment the overall discussions.

The source of the auroral phenomenon known as omega bands is not yet known. We examine in detail five different intervals when omega bands were observed on March 9th, 2008 between 0400 UT and 1100 UT over central Canada using both ground and space-based instrumentation. The THEMIS all sky imagers show the development of some of the omega bands from north–south streamers. Spherical elementary currents derived from ground magnetometer data indicate that the omega bands lie near the interface between the region 1 and region 2 currents in the post-midnight sector. THEMIS spacecraft data from the pre-midnight sector display multiple high speed flows and dipolarization features associated with high levels of geomagnetic activity, whereas four GOES geosynchronous spacecraft show multiple injections and dipolarization features. Magnetic field line tracing suggests that the magnetospheric location of the omega bands is at or just beyond geosynchronous orbit. We discuss in detail two potential source mechanisms for the omega bands: plasma sheet velocity shears and high speed flows in the magnetotail and relate the available data to those mechanisms. Our data and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation support high speed flows in the magnetotail as the most likely generation mechanism, although the distribution of the magnetotail spacecraft does not provide unambiguous support for our interpretation of the source mechanism.

Large-amplitude variations in GPS total electron content (TEC) at Pc5–6 (

We present observations from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program and Reimei satellites, where common-volume high-resolution ground-based auroral imaging data are available. These satellite overpasses of ground-based all-sky imagers reveal the specific features of the electron populations responsible for different types of pulsating aurora modulations. The energies causing the pulsating aurora mostly range from 3 keV to 20 keV but can at times extend up to 30 keV. The secondary, low-energy electrons (

We report first results on the study of the high-latitude ionospheric irregularities observed in worldwide GPS data during the St. Patrick's Day geomagnetic storm (17 March 2015). Multisite GPS observations from more than 2500 ground-based GPS stations were used to analyze the dynamics of the ionospheric irregularities in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The most intense ionospheric irregularities lasted for more than 24 h starting at 07 UT of 17 March. This period correlates well with an increase of the auroral Hemispheric Power index. We find hemispheric asymmetries in the intensity and spatial structure of the ionospheric irregularities. Over North America, the ionospheric irregularities zone expanded equatorward below ~45°N geographic latitude. Additionally, the strong midlatitude and high-latitude GPS phase irregularities in the auroral oval were found to be related to the formation of storm enhanced density and deepening of the main ionospheric trough through upper atmosphere ionization by energetic particle precipitation. Significant increases in the intensity of the irregularities within the polar cap region of both hemispheres were associated with the formation and evolution of the storm enhanced density/tongue of ionization structures and polar patches.

In this data report we discuss reprocessing of the Space Technology 5 (ST5) magnetometer database for inclusion in NASA's Coordinated Data Analysis Web (CDAWeb) virtual observatory. The mission consisted of three spacecraft flying in elliptical orbits, from 27 March to 27 June 2006. Reprocessing includes (1) transforming the data into the Modified Apex Coordinate System for projection to a common reference altitude of 110 km, (2) correcting gain jumps, and (3) validating the results. We display the averaged magnetic perturbations as a keogram, which allows direct comparison of the full‐mission data with the solar wind values and geomagnetic indices. With the data referenced to a common altitude, we find the following: (1) Magnetic perturbations that track the passage of corotating interaction regions and high‐speed solar wind; (2) unexpectedly strong dayside perturbations during a solstice magnetospheric sawtooth oscillation interval characterized by a radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) component that may have enhanced the accompanying modest southward IMF; and (3) intervals of reduced magnetic perturbations or “calms,” associated with periods of slow solar wind, interspersed among variable‐length episodic enhancements. These calms are most evident when the IMF is northward or projects with a northward component onto the geomagnetic dipole. The reprocessed ST5 data are in very good agreement with magnetic perturbations from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft, which we also map to 110 km. We briefly discuss the methods used to remap the ST5 data and the means of validating the results against DMSP. Our methods form the basis for future intermission comparisons of space‐based magnetometer data., Key Points ST5 Magnetic Perturbations Have Been ReprocessedReprocessed data at 100 km compare well to DMSP dataKeogram view of data show response to several solar wind drivers

We analyze localized ionospheric-thermospheric (IT) events in response to external driving by a high-speed stream (HSS) during the ascending phase of the Solar Cycle 24. The HSS event occurred from ~ 29 April to 5 May, 2011. The HSS itself (and not the associated corotating interaction region) caused a moderate geomagnetic storm with peak SYM-H = −55 nT and prolonged auroral activity. We analyze TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics)/SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) measurements of nitric oxide (NO) cooling emission during the interval as a measure of thermospheric response to auroral heating. We identify several local cooling emission (LCE) events in high to subauroral latitudes. Individual cooling emission profiles during these LCE events are enhanced at ionospheric E layer altitudes. For the first time, we present electron density profiles in the vicinity of the LCE events using collocated COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate) radio occultation (RO) measurements. Measurements at local nighttime show the formation of an enhanced E layer (about 2.5 times increase over the undisturbed value) at ≥100 km altitude. Daytime electron density profiles show relatively smaller enhancements in the E layer. We suggest that the IT response is due to additional ionization caused by medium energy electron (>10 keV) precipitation into the subauroral to high-latitude atmosphere associated with geomagnetic activity during the HSS event.

Since the mid 1970's, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft have operated instruments for monitoring the space environment from low earth orbit. As the program evolved, so to have the measurement capabilities such that modern DMSP spacecraft include a comprehensive suite of instruments providing estimates of precipitating electron and ion fluxes, cold/bulk plasma composition and moments, the geomagnetic field, and optical emissions in the far and extreme ultraviolet. We describe the creation of a new public database of precipitating electrons and ions from the Special Sensor J (SSJ) instrument, complete with original counts, calibrated differential fluxes adjusted for penetrating radiation, estimates of the total kinetic energy flux and characteristic energy, uncertainty estimates, and accurate ephemerides. These are provided in a common and self-describing format that covers 30+ years of DMSP spacecraft from F06 (launched in 1982) through F18 (launched in 2009). This new database is accessible at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the Coordinated Data Analysis Web (CDAWeb). We describe how the new database is being applied to high latitude studies of: the co-location of kinetic and electromagnetic energy inputs, ionospheric conductivity variability, field aligned currents and auroral boundary identification. We anticipate that this new database will support a broad range of space science endeavors from single observatory studies to coordinated system science investigations.

The role of electron precipitation in the auroral zone in driving thermal O+ upwelling is explored by comparison of observations and model results. Previous reports have shown how the ambiguities of such an assessment can be reduced when the problem is addressed in dynamic boundary-related coordinates. Upwelling ion data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites are compared using a modeling framework based on the Field Line Interhemispheric Plasma (FLIP) ionospheric model. We focus on geomagnetically quiet intervals, that is, nonstorm times with Dst > −50 nT. We find that low-energy (

During the past decade engineering-grade magnetic field measurements from the low Earth orbiting (LEO) Iridium constellation of communication satellites have been available to the geospace science community as a tool to map field-aligned currents. The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) applied to Iridium measurements markedly improved the temporal and spatial resolution of these data. We developed new methods to compare data from the latest improvement to AMPERE with those from a constellation of four LEO Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft that carry high-resolution magnetometers. To perform the comparisons, we transformed all data to a common coordinate frame and altitude (110 km) and developed a means of computing spacecraft magnetic conjunctions. These conjunctions yield discrepancies in the magnetic field perturbations measured at each proximate spacecraft. During the geomagnetic disturbance of 29–30 May 2010, the vector differences in the horizontal perturbations at closest approach (typically a few tens of kilometers) had mean, median, and standard deviation values of 132 nT, 112 nT, and 90 nT, respectively. The DMSP spacecraft tend to report larger perturbations in the northern polar cap and cusp regions, especially during active intervals. We attribute some of the differences to limitations of spacecraft-attitude knowledge that propagate into AMPERE data. Overall, for the magnetic storm, we provide clear evidence that AMPERE data can provide high-resolution auroral zone data in good agreement with DMSP data for use in data assimilation algorithms. Such dual-use commercial data can provide important global augmentation to the nation's space weather monitoring capabilities.

Recently, narrowband emissions ordered near the H+ (proton) gyrofrequency (fcH) were reported in the stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) spectrum during active geomagnetic conditions. This work presents new observations and theoretical analysis of these recently discovered emissions. These emission lines are observed in the stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) spectrum when the transmitter is tuned near the second electron gyroharmonic frequency (2fce) during recent ionospheric modification experiments at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research (HAARP) facility near Gakona, Alaska. The spectral lines are typically shifted below and above the pump wave frequency by harmonics of a frequency roughly 10% less than fcH (≈ 800 Hz) with a narrow emission bandwidth less than the O+ gyrofrequency (≈ 50 Hz). However, new observations and analysis of emission lines ordered by a frequency approximately 10% greater than fcH are presented here for the first time as well. The interaction altitude for the heating for all the observations is in the range of 160 km up to 200 km. As described previously, proton precipitation due to active geomagnetic conditions is considered as the reason for the presence of H+ ions known to be a minor background constituent in this altitude region. DMSP satellite observations over HAARP during the heating experiments and ground-based magnetometer and riometer data validate active geomagnetic conditions. The theory of parametric decay instability in multi-ion component plasma including H+ ions as a minority species described in previous work is expanded in light of simultaneously observed preexisting SEE features to interpret the newly reported observations. Impact of active geomagnetic conditions on the SEE spectrum as a diagnostic tool for proton precipitation event characterization is discussed.

The Solar Cycle 23 – 24 minimum has been considered unusually deep and complex. In this article we study the ionospheric behavior during this minimum, and we have found that, although observable, the ionosphere response is minor and marginally exceeds the range of normal geophysical variability of the system. Two main ionospheric parameters have been studied: vertical TEC (vTEC, total electron content) and NmF2 (peak concentration of the F region). While vTEC showed a consistent modest decrease of the mean value, NmF2 behavior was less clear, with instances where the mean value for the minimum 23 – 24 was even higher that for the minimum 22 – 23. More extensive work is required to gain a better understanding of the ionospheric behavior under conditions similar to those presented in the last minimum.

SPIDR (Space Physics Interactive Data Resource) is a standard data source for solar-terrestrial physics, functioning within the framework of the ICSU World Data Centers. It is a distributed database and application server network, built to select, visualize and model historical space weather data distributed across the Internet. SPIDR can work as a fully-functional web-application (portal) or as a grid of web-services, providing functions for other applications to access its data holdings.