HOUSE WITH METEOROLOGICAL MESONIN, OR SOME INFORMATION FROM RELIABLE SOURCES THAT CONTRIBUTES TO COMPLETING THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY

The article deals with the history of the institutions where meteorological and geomagnetic research originated and developed in the south of Ukraine in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries as well as their close ties with the history of the Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Novorossiysky University. Professors of Novorossiysky University V. I. Lapshin and F. N. Shvedov were those to whom the Department of Physical Geography owed its appearance. Teaching meteorological disciplines and scientific observations were initially conducted by the staff of the Department at the meteorological station of the University. In 1894, thanks to the efforts of prof. A. V. Klosovsky a special Meteorological observatory was constructed in the area of the Small Fountain of Odessa. In 1905, geomagnetic measurements were launched. Research works at the Magnetic Meteorological Observatory were carried out under the guidance of a number of scientists-geophysicists, M. A. Aganin, S. G. Popruzhenko, I. Ya. Tochidlovsky and P. T. Pasalsky being the most famous. In 1920, the University was closed and Observatory was transformed into an independent Odessa Geophysical Observatory. As soon as the Odessa State University was restored in 1933, the Observatory was given back to its Alma mater. However, since the postwar years it has been a part of the Odessa Hydrometeorological Center of the Black and Azov Seas.

Fusion of wildlife tracking and satellite geomagnetic data for the study of animal migration

Background Migratory animals use information from the Earth’s magnetic field on their journeys. Geomagnetic navigation has been observed across many taxa, but how animals use geomagnetic information to find their way is still relatively unknown. Most migration studies use a static representation of geomagnetic field and do not consider its temporal variation. However, short-term temporal perturbations may affect how animals respond - to understand this phenomenon, we need to obtain fine resolution accurate geomagnetic measurements at the location and time of the animal. Satellite geomagnetic measurements provide a potential to create such accurate measurements, yet have not been used yet for exploration of animal migration. Methods We develop a new tool for data fusion of satellite geomagnetic data (from the European Space Agency’s Swarm constellation) with animal tracking data using a spatio-temporal interpolation approach. We assess accuracy of the fusion through a comparison with calibrated terrestrial measurements from the International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network (INTERMAGNET). We fit a generalized linear model (GLM) to assess how the absolute error of annotated geomagnetic intensity varies with interpolation parameters and with the local geomagnetic disturbance. Results We find that the average absolute error of intensity is − 21.6 nT (95% CI [− 22.26555, − 20.96664]), which is at the lower range of the intensity that animals can sense. The main predictor of error is the level of geomagnetic disturbance, given by the Kp index (indicating the presence of a geomagnetic storm). Since storm level disturbances are rare, this means that our tool is suitable for studies of animal geomagnetic navigation. Caution should be taken with data obtained during geomagnetically disturbed days due to rapid and localised changes of the field which may not be adequately captured. Conclusions By using our new tool, ecologists will be able to, for the first time, access accurate real-time satellite geomagnetic data at the location and time of each tracked animal, without having to start new tracking studies with specialised magnetic sensors. This opens a new and exciting possibility for large multi-species studies that will search for general migratory responses to geomagnetic cues. The tool therefore has a potential to uncover new knowledge about geomagnetic navigation and help resolve long-standing debates.

Empirical relationship between nightside reconnection rate and solar wind / geomagnetic measurements

<p>According to the expanding-contracting polar cap paradigm, dayside and nightside reconnection control magnetosphere-ionosphere dynamics at high latitudes by increasing or decreasing the open flux respectively. The dayside reconnection rate can be estimated using parameters measured in the solar wind, but there is no reliable and available proxy for the nightside reconnection rate. We want to remedy this by using AMPERE to estimate a time series of open flux content. The AMPERE data set originates from the global Iridium satellite system, enabling continuous measurements of the field-aligned Birkeland currents, from which the open magnetic flux of the polar caps can be derived. These estimates will be used to derive empirical relationships with available measurements on the ground and in the solar wind. This work can also help improve estimates of dayside reconnection rates.</p>

Preliminary investigation of the possibility of GIC development in Greece

<p>Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) constitute an integral part of the space weather research and a subject of ever-growing attention for countries located in the low and middle latitudes. A series of recent studies highlights the importance of considering GIC risks for the Mediterranean region. The HellENIc GeoMagnetic Array (ENIGMA) is a network of 4 ground-based magnetometer stations in the areas of Thessaly, Central Greece, Peloponnese and Crete in Greece that provides geomagnetic measurements for the study of pulsations, resulting from the solar wind - magnetosphere coupling. ENIGMA magnetometer array enables effective remote sensing of geospace dynamics and the study of space weather effects on the ground (i.e. GIC). ENIGMA contributes data to SuperMAG, a worldwide collaboration of organizations and national agencies that currently operate approximately 300 ground-based magnetometers. In this presentation, we exploit ENIGMA data in order to study the spatio-temporal variations of the geomagnetic field that emanate during active geospace conditions. Moreover, we investigate the possibility that these variations produce hazardous currents and provide an estimation of their intensity, focusing on the most intense magnetic storms of the present solar cycle.</p>