The advent of continuous geomagnetic monitoring from space over more than 25 years has led to a renewed understanding of the geomagnetic signal, with the discovery of hydromagnetic waves in the fluid core. These carry information not only on the mechanisms that sustain the geodynamo, but also potentially on the solid mantle as well as …
Using data from ESA’s Swarm satellites, together with those from the US–German GRACE mission and from ground-based instrument networks, scientists have measured atmospheric density changes resulting from auroral Joule heating during 276 geomagnetic storms between 2010 and 2024. Such dramatic shifts in Earth’s upper atmosphere associated to geomagnetic activity are described as “hot flushes.” These …
Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves are electromagnetic plasma waves in near-Earth space, which play an important role in outer radiation belt dynamics. Specifically, these waves remove electrons from the outer radiation belt by scattering them into the Earth’s atmosphere. Energetic so-called “killer” electrons trapped in the outer belt pose dangers to satellites. Understanding the processes …
Satellite observations play a crucial role due to its global and relatively uniform coverage and accuracy. Gravity data from ESA’s GOCE satellite mission provided key information in properly constraining the Earth’s density distribution, as in combination with high resolution seismological data, used in the construction of the WINTERC-G lithosphere model, which was produced in the …
The research project aims at providing advanced models of the dynamic ionosphere, which will address plasma irregularities, allow for studies of turbulent structuring, ionospheric plasma dynamics, and will also contribute to the development of forecasting of space weather effects based on in-situ satellite data. The team aims at using novel modelling approaches as well as …
Satellite magnetic field observations have the potential to provide information on dynamics, heat content and salinity throughout the ocean. It is well established that the ocean generates a time-varying magnetic field that depends on its motions and electrical conductivity structure. With ten years of high quality observations available from the Swarm satellite trio, and with …
FBURST aims at better understanding the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling based on multi-spacecraft observations that can monitor the status of the high latitude ionospheric field aligned current system (FAC) and the conditions in the geomagnetic tail. In particular, this project focusses on the fast plasma jets detected at more than 60000 km from the Earth in the …
In the JOIN project, the team will develop new tools for estimating the amount of Joule Heating in the Northern auroral regions, and carry out a detailed investigation of its consequences on the neutral atmosphere at satellite altitudes. The high-latitude auroral ionosphere is connected by magnetic field lines to a large part of the magnetospheric …
The day-to day variability of quiet-time ionosphere is surprisingly high even during periods of negligible solar forcing. Relatively well understood is the high-latitude variability where the solar wind is directly driving the high latitude currents, convection electric field or polar aurorae. But the current understanding does not allow to accurately model the ionospheric state during …
Combining satellite measurements from Swarm, as well as from the earlier German Champ mission and Danish Ørsted mission, with a computer model of the geodynamo, a new type of magnetic wave, with a 7 year period, and a westward drift at phase speed of 1500km/year, has been mapped at the Earth’s core-mantle boundary. Such Magneto-Coriolis …
