|
The BGS has well-established links with the School
of GeoSciences at Edinburgh University. We currently provide
a course in Geomagnetism to final year students studying for
a BSc
in Geophysics. The course aims to provide a balanced account
of what we know, and think we know about the Earth's magnetic
field and its origin. In addition, the interdependence of experimental
observations and physical theory is highlighted. |
| |
|
|
|
The BGS is a partner institute in a NERC-funded
Consortium "Geomagnetic Earth Observation from SPACE -
GEOSPACE". The main aim of GEOSPACE
is to exploit data from the new generation of magnetic survey
satellites and this will be achieved by a collaboration of the
internal and external magnetic field communities. The other
partner institutes are University of Edinburgh, University of
Leeds, University of Liverpool and CCLRC's Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory.
Our scientific aims are to unravel and model the various
sources contributing to the measured magnetic field and its
time variation to a much higher degree of accuracy than previously
achieved. This involves studying external magnetic fields
in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, the internal fields they
induce in the crust and mantle, the static field locked in
lithospheric rocks, magnetic fields generated by ocean tides
(owing to motional induction in electrically conducting seawater),
and the field generated by dynamo action in the liquid outer
core.
|
| |
|
|
MIST is an informal community of UK-based scientists
who study the ionosphere, magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial
relations. Regular bi-annual meetings are organised: a one day
meeting in London in the autumn and a two-day out-of-town meeting
each spring. BGS contributes to the science undertaken by the
MIST community and also hosts meetings (see the archive). |
| |
|
|
In 2003 the European Space Agency launched an
initiative to develop and market space weather services in Europe.
BGS contributed a web-based system for better monitoring and
analysing of the
space weather risk to the UK power grid. The 25+ "service
development activities" supported by ESA are now contributing
space weather data and services through a European space weather
resource known as SWENET. BGS are also contributing near
real time estimates of geomagnetic indices as well as short
and long term forecasts of geomagnetic activity. |
| |
|
|
|
The European Space Agency will launch a constellation
of magnetic survey satellites called Swarm in 2009. BGS contributed
to an End-to-End Mission Performance study which helped establish
the number and orbits of the Swarm satellites in relation to
science objectives. Through our on-going work with data from
the Ørsted satellite (Danish
National Space Center and Danish
Meteorological Institute) and the CHAMP satellite (GeoForschungsZentrum
in Germany) we are gaining experience of working with satellite
data which will be beneficial for analyzing Swarm data. BGS
are a key consortium member on the level 2 processing study. |
| |
|
|
COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Co-operation
in the field of Scientific and Technical Research, allowing
the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European
level.
BGS was one of the two national representatives for the
UK on the COST
724 action on 'Developing the Scientific Basis for
Monitoring, Modelling and Predicting Space Weather'.
This action is now closed but BGS will be an integral member
of the new COST ES0803
action on 'Developing space weather products and services
in Europe'.
|
| |
|
|
BGS contributes to the science undertaken by the International
Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy. As well as BGS staff
holding posts in the IAGA Executive Committee and Scientific
Structure, we contribute to the International Geomagnetic
Reference Field. For other contributions see the archive.
|
