Collaborative Research: Using Ground-based Observations of ULF Waves at Cusp Latitudes on Svalbard to Probe Earth's Space Environment

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

Funds are provided to support the construction and installation of a closely-spaced array of four search coil magnetometers (induction antennas) on Svalbard for studies of Earth's space environment. The Svalbard archipelago is already the site of numerous optical sensors and auroral imagers, multiple radars including EISCAT and SuperDARN, and is the location of the northernmost stations in the IMAGE array of fluxgate magnetometers. This extensive array of instrumentation has been installed on Svalbard primarily because it is the only readily accessible site in the northern hemisphere at which the ionospheric footpoint of the magnetospheric cusp is consistently in darkness during the winter solstice. Magnetic field lines from the cusp region map to the outer boundary of Earth's magnetosphere, where it interacts with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Because of this, ground stations located under the cusp region can provide information about the first entry of energy and momentum from the solar wind to Earth's ionosphere. There is currently no search coil magnetometer array on Svalbard, however. Deployment of a closely-spaced two-dimensional array of search coil instruments, each with accurate GPS timing, will allow the PIs to determine phase differences between signals observed at different sites, and hence determine apparent propagation directions and infer wave source locations. In addition, the presence of a rich array of other instrumentation at several sites on Svalbard, especially under winter dark conditions, can provide detailed information on ionospheric regions that is not available at any other cusp latitude site. This study will contribute to our understanding of, and ability to predict, space weather phenomena that can cause power outages and increase pipeline corrosion, produce radiation damage to satellites, and create problems in radio communications, amongst other problems.