Investigation of MAGSAT and TRIAD magnetometer data to provide corrective information on high-latitude external fields

The compilation of a catalog of the MAGSAT-observed high altitude disturbances is discussed and an example of contents and format is given. The graphs allow the investigation of Birkeland current signatures which are superimposed upon the main geomagnetic field. An example of a display of the MAGSAT orbital tracks in a polar geomagnetic coordinate system with the locations, flow directions, and intensities of field aligned currents shown in color is also given. The display was generated using an interactive color graphics terminal

Investigation of MAGSAT and TRIAD magnetometer data to provide corrective information on high-lattitude external fields

Disturbances in the MAGSAT magnetometer data set due to high latitude phenomena were evaluated. Much of the categorization of disturbances due to Birkeland currents, ionospheric Hall currents, fine structure and wave phenomena was done with the MAGSAT data catalog. A color graphics technique was developed for the display of disturbances from multiple orbits, from which one can infer a 'global-image' of the current systems of the auroral zone. The MAGSAT 4/81 magnetic field model appears to represent the Earth's main field at high latitudes very well for the epoch 1980. MAGSAT's low altitude allows analysis of disturbances in the magnetometer data due to ionospheric electrojet currents. These current distributions were modeled properly for single events as a precursor to the inference of the Birkeland current system. MAGSAT's orbit was approximately shared with that of the Navy/APL TRIAD satellite. This allowed space-time studies of the magnetic disturbance signatures to be performed, the result being an approximately 75% agreement in, as well as high frequency of, signatures due to Birkeland currents. Thus the field-aligned currents are a steady-state participant in the Earth's magnetospheric current system

The correlation of VLF propagation variations with atmospheric planetary-scale waves

Variations in the received daytime phase of long distance, cesium-controlled, VLF transmission were compared to the height variations of the 10-mb isobaric surface during the first three months of 1965 and 1969. The VLF phase values are also compared to height variations of constant electron densities in the E-region and to variations of f-min which have been shown to be well correlated with planetary-scale variations in the stratosphere by Deland and Cavalieri (1973). The VLF phase variations show good correlation with these previous ionospheric measurements and with the 10-mb surfaces. The planetary scale waves in the stratosphere are shown to be travelling on the average eastward in 1965 and westward in 1969. These correlations are interpreted as due to the propagation of travelling planetary scale waves with westward tilted wave fronts. Upward energy transport due to the vertical structure of those waves is also discussed. These correlations provide further evidence for the coupling between the lower ionosphere at about 70 km altitude (the daytime VLF reflection height and the stratosphere, and they demonstrate the importance of planetary wave phenomena to VLF propagation

The dynamic cusp at low altitudes: A case study combining Viking, DMSP, and Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar observations

A case study involving data from three satellites and a ground-based radar are presented. Focus is on a detailed discussion of observations of the dynamic cusp made on 24 Sep. 1986 in the dayside high-latitude ionosphere and interior magnetosphere. The relevant data from space-borne and ground-based sensors is presented. They include in-situ particle and field measurements from the DMSP-F7 and Viking spacecraft and Sondrestrom radar observations of the ionosphere. These data are augmented by observations of the IMF and the solar wind plasma. The observations are compared with predictions about the ionospheric response to the observed particle precipitation, obtained from an auroral model. It is shown that observations and model calculations fit well and provide a picture of the ionospheric footprint of the cusp in an invariant latitude versus local time frame. The combination of Viking, Sondrestrom radar, and IMP-8 data suggests that we observed an ionospheric signature of the dynamic cusp. Its spatial variation over time which appeared closely related to the southward component of the IMF was monitored

ULF waves in the low‐latitude boundary layer and their relationship to magnetospheric pulsations: A multisatellite observation

On April 30 (day 120), 1985, the magnetosphere was compressed at 0923 UT and the subsolar magnetopause remained near 7 REgeocentric for ∼2 hours, during which the four spacecraft Spacecraft Charging At High Altitude (SCATHA), GOES 5, GOES 6, and Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) CCE were all in the magnetosphere on the morning side. SCATHA was in the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) in the second half of this period. The interplanetary magnetic field was inferred to be northward from the characteristics of precipitating particle fluxes as observed by the low-altitude satellite Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F7 and also from absence of substorms. We used magnetic field and particle data from this unique interval to study ULF waves in the LLBL and their relationship to magnetic pulsations in the magnetosphere. The LLBL was identified from the properties of particles, including bidirectional field-aligned electron beams at ∼200 eV. In the boundary layer the magnetic field exhibited both a 5–10 min irregular compressional oscillation and a broadband (Δƒ/ƒ ∼ 1) primarily transverse oscillations with a mean period of ∼50 s and a left-hand sense of polarization about the mean field. The former can be observed by other satellites and is likely due to pressure variations in the solar wind, while the latter is likely due to a Kelvin-Helmholtz (K.-H.) instability occurring in the LLBL or on the magnetopause. Also, a strongly transverse ∼3-s oscillation was observed in the LLBL. The magnetospheric pulsations, which exhibited position dependent frequencies, may be explained in terms of field line resonance with a broadband source wave, that is, either the pressure-induced compressional wave or the K.-H. wave generated in or near the boundary layer

Periodic auroral events at the high-latitude convection reversal in the 16 MLT region

Combined optical and radar observations of two breakup-like auroral events near the polar cap boundary, within 74–76° MLAT and 1210 – 1240 UT (roughly 1540 – 1610 MLT) on 9 Jan. 1989 are reported. A two-component structure of the auroral phenomenon is indicated, with a local intensification of the pre-existing arc as well as a separate, tailward moving discrete auroral event on the poleward side of the background aurora, close to the reversal between well-defined zones of sunward and tailward ion flows. The all-sky TV observations do not indicate a connection between the two components, which also show different optical spectral composition. The 16 MLT background arc is located on sunward convecting field lines, as opposed to the 12–14 MLT auroral emission observed on this day. Although the magnetospheric plasma source (s) of the 16 MLT events are not easily identified from these ground-based data alone, it is suggested that the lower and higher latitude components, may map to the plasma sheet boundary layer and along open field lines to the magnetopause boundary, respectively. The events occur at the time of enhancements of westward ionospheric ion flow and corresponding eastward electrojet current south of 74° MLAT. Thus, they seem to be very significant events, involving periodic (10 min period), tailward moving filaments of field-aligned current/discrete auroral emission at the 16 MLT polar cap boundary

Reflection and transmission of equatorial Rossby waves

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 35 (2005): 363-373, doi:10.1175/JPO-2691.1.The interaction of equatorial Rossby waves with a western boundary perforated with one or more narrow gaps is investigated using a shallow-water numerical model and supporting theory. It is found that very little of the incident energy flux is reflected into eastward-propagating equatorial Kelvin waves provided that at least one gap is located within approximately a deformation radius of the equator. Because of the circulation theorem around an island, the existence of a second gap off the equator reduces the reflection of short Rossby waves and enhances the transmission of the incident energy into the western basin. The westward energy transmitted past the easternmost island is further reduced upon encountering islands to the west, even if these islands are located entirely within the “shadow” of the easternmost island. A localized patch of wind forcing was also used to generate low-frequency Rossby waves for cases with island configurations representative of the western equatorial Pacific. For both idealized islands and a coastline based on the 200-m isobath, the amount of incident energy reflected into Kelvin waves depends on both the duration of the wind event and the meridional decay scale of the anomalous winds. For wind events of 2-yr duration with a meridional decay scale of 700 km, the reflected energy is 37% of the incident flux, and the energy transmitted into the Indian Ocean is approximately 10% of the incident flux, very close to that predicted by previous theories. For shorter wind events or winds confined more closely to the equator the reflected energy is significantly less.This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under Grant N00014-03-1- 0338 (MAS) and by the National Science Foundation under Grants OCE-0240978 (MAS) and OCE-9901654 (JP)

From the oceans to the cloud: Opportunities and challenges for data, models, computation and workflows.

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Vance, T. C., Wengren, M., Burger, E., Hernandez, D., Kearns, T., Medina-Lopez, E., Merati, N., O'Brien, K., O'Neil, J., Potemrag, J. T., Signell, R. P., & Wilcox, K. From the oceans to the cloud: Opportunities and challenges for data, models, computation and workflows. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6(211), (2019), doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00211.Advances in ocean observations and models mean increasing flows of data. Integrating observations between disciplines over spatial scales from regional to global presents challenges. Running ocean models and managing the results is computationally demanding. The rise of cloud computing presents an opportunity to rethink traditional approaches. This includes developing shared data processing workflows utilizing common, adaptable software to handle data ingest and storage, and an associated framework to manage and execute downstream modeling. Working in the cloud presents challenges: migration of legacy technologies and processes, cloud-to-cloud interoperability, and the translation of legislative and bureaucratic requirements for “on-premises” systems to the cloud. To respond to the scientific and societal needs of a fit-for-purpose ocean observing system, and to maximize the benefits of more integrated observing, research on utilizing cloud infrastructures for sharing data and models is underway. Cloud platforms and the services/APIs they provide offer new ways for scientists to observe and predict the ocean’s state. High-performance mass storage of observational data, coupled with on-demand computing to run model simulations in close proximity to the data, tools to manage workflows, and a framework to share and collaborate, enables a more flexible and adaptable observation and prediction computing architecture. Model outputs are stored in the cloud and researchers either download subsets for their interest/area or feed them into their own simulations without leaving the cloud. Expanded storage and computing capabilities make it easier to create, analyze, and distribute products derived from long-term datasets. In this paper, we provide an introduction to cloud computing, describe current uses of the cloud for management and analysis of observational data and model results, and describe workflows for running models and streaming observational data. We discuss topics that must be considered when moving to the cloud: costs, security, and organizational limitations on cloud use. Future uses of the cloud via computational sandboxes and the practicalities and considerations of using the cloud to archive data are explored. We also consider the ways in which the human elements of ocean observations are changing – the rise of a generation of researchers whose observations are likely to be made remotely rather than hands on – and how their expectations and needs drive research towards the cloud. In conclusion, visions of a future where cloud computing is ubiquitous are discussed.This is PMEL contribution 4873

Seasonal variations of high‐latitude field‐aligned currents inferred from Ørsted and Magsat observations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94879/1/jgra16417.pd

On the origin of aurorae on Mars

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95268/1/grl20829.pd