100708 - GEOSCOPR Workshop

Overview

Antarctic measurements have been crucial in shaping our understanding of the dynamics of the polar atmosphere and ionosphere, their connections with the magnetosphere and solar wind, and the causes and consequences of north-south hemisphere asymmetries in the coupled system. Recent studies suggest that more measurements are needed in this sparsely sampled region, not less. However, many Antarctic geospace measurements that the space weather research community has come to rely on (e.g., southern hemisphere TEC accessed via MADRIGAL, magnetic field accessed via SuperMAG) are increasingly under threat for decommissioning and removal, and support for future experiments is very uncertain (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23117/nsf23117.jsp?org=NSF).

We invite current and future polar researchers to a hybrid workshop on October 18-20 in Arlington VA to help address these issues and shape the future of polar geospace research. The workshop will culminate in a report to NSF, with objectives including:

identification of high level geospace/space weather research goals in the next 10 years,
near-term plans for instrument deployments,
identification of new collaborations (including interdisciplinary collaborations across the geosciences),
coordination to advocate for polar measurement projects that span multiple countries/programs.

We encourage users of Antarctic measurements to attend this workshop, including modelers/data assimilators, as a major goal is to break down barriers between the user community and instrument operators to coordinate measurement campaigns that best address the user community needs.

Given the international participation, we plan to schedule all science-related sessions, agency updates, and discussions of future goals in the morning session. In the afternoon, we will focus on open-discussion sessions such as logistics challenges, future approaches, building pipelines, and more. Please feel free to send Zhonghua (zxu77@vt.edu) your possible presentation (high-level, 1-2 slides, with 5 minutes) or topics.

Acknowledgement: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) - OPP 2333163.

Location Information

The workshop will be held at the:

VIRGINIA TECH EXECUTIVE BRIEFING CENTER
900 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203

There is a block of rooms being held at the Westin Arlington under GEOSCOPR. Participants are responsible for their own lodging expenses.

THE WESTIN ARLINGTON
801 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203
Hotel 703-717-6200

Another lodging option is the Placemakr Marymount Ballston, Arlington (one block from the meeting location)

PLACEMAKR MARYMOUNT BALLSTON
1008 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22201
Use promo code VTIC for a discounted rate

Agenda/Schedule

See Google Doc for a detailed agenda.

Additional Information

GEOSCOPR Conveners

Dr. Zhonghua Xu, (zxu77@vt.edu) a research assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, possesses extensive fieldwork experience in geomagnetic observations spanning since 1999. His research activities are primarily centered around space weather and geomagnetic phenomena. Dr. Xu has a solid background in conducting geomagnetic observations in Antarctica, which includes autonomous instrumentation design, field deployment (6 visits to Antarctica, 16 months at Zhongshan Station), and operations. His research is closely tied to space weather, a crucial area of study that investigates the impact of solar and geomagnetic activity on Earth. This includes researching geomagnetic storms, ULF (Ultra-Low-Frequency) pulsation indices, and Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs). His contributions have significant implications for understanding and mitigating the effects of geomagnetic phenomena on various technological systems, including power grids and communication networks.

Dr. Michael Hartinger, mhartinger@spacescience.org Mike studies Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and other phenomena related to solar-wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling - how energy flows between the Sun and different regions in the near-Earth space environment. He received his Bachelor's in Physics from Cornell University in 2006, and PhD in Geophysics and Space Physics from UCLA in 2012. His recent research focuses on wave-particle interactions in the Earth's radiation belts and north-south hemisphere asymmetries in the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system, and he currently co-manages an array of autonomous instruments in Antarctica.

Dr. Hyomin Kim, hyomin.kim@njit.edu, Assistant Professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Dr. Kim's research includes: Ground-based and satellite data analysis for the study of interhemispheric geomagnetic response to solar wind, EMIC/ULF waves, and wave propagation in the ionosphere.

Study of GPS scintillation in association with geomagnetic storms and substorms.
Magnetometer (fluxgate and search-coil type) sensor and electronics design, fabrication, and calibration.
Ground-based science instrument operation, data collection/processing, and maintenance.
Field work for deployment of ground-based magnetometer systems (Greenland, Svalbard, Canada, and Antarctica).