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| USGS Geomagnetism Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | USGS Geomagnetism Program |
| Formation | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, California |
| Parent organization | United States Geological Survey |
USGS Geomagnetism Program
The USGS Geomagnetism Program monitors Earth's magnetic field from a national network of observatories and provides geomagnetic data for science and operations. It supports research on geomagnetism relevant to hazards such as geomagnetic storm, space weather, and impacts on critical infrastructure including power grid, pipeline corrosion mitigation, and satellite operations. The Program produces long-term geomagnetic records used by agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and international partners like the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy.
The Program operates within the United States Geological Survey and maintains a network of magnetic observatories across the United States and territories, delivering real-time and archival products for stakeholders including the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, and academic institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Colorado Boulder. Its mission intersects with projects supported by the National Science Foundation, collaborations with the British Geological Survey, and contributions to international models like the International Geomagnetic Reference Field and the World Magnetic Model.
Origins trace to 19th-century magnetic surveys led by institutions such as the United States Coast Survey, later the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, and scientific figures associated with the Smithsonian Institution and Carnegie Institution for Science. In the 20th century, advances during the International Geophysical Year and the Cold War era prompted expansion of observatory networks by agencies including the U.S. Army Signal Corps and the U.S. Naval Observatory. The modern Program consolidated resources and standards under the United States Geological Survey in the late 20th century, evolving alongside satellite missions such as Magsat, Ørsted, CHAMP, Swarm, and Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission that revolutionized global magnetic field measurement.
Observatories are sited to meet standards developed with partners like the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy and host instruments including fluxgate magnetometers, proton precession magnetometers, and vector variometers similar to those used in projects at Canadian Space Agency facilities and the Geological Survey of Canada. Stations feed data to central processing centers coordinated with networks such as the INTERMAGNET consortium and observatory programs in Australia, Japan, Germany, and France. Instrument calibration references include standards used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and methodologies comparable to those described by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Products include one-minute and one-second geomagnetic time series, baseline-adjusted datum records, magnetic observatory reports, and derived indices used by operational centers like the Space Weather Prediction Center and systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Program supplies inputs to models such as the International Geomagnetic Reference Field, World Magnetic Model, and regional hazard assessments used by Electric Power Research Institute and North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Data archives support paleomagnetic and secular variation studies undertaken by scholars at the University of Cambridge, University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich, and the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.
Research topics span secular variation, geomagnetic jerk analysis, magnetotelluric studies, induction hazard assessment for the power grid, and ionospheric current systems including the auroral electrojet and equatorial electrojet. Studies draw on theory from James Clerk Maxwell-derived electrodynamics and applications in satellite navigation systems used by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and aviation stakeholders such as Airbus. Collaborations have produced risk frameworks for utilities like Pacific Gas and Electric Company and modeling efforts with laboratories such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.
Collaborative networks include INTERMAGNET, the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, and bilateral programs with the British Geological Survey, Geological Survey of Canada, Geoscience Australia, and universities such as Columbia University and Princeton University. Cooperative funding and mission alignment occur with agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, and defense organizations like U.S. Space Force and U.S. Navy. International data exchange supports global models developed by groups at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.
Outreach includes data portals used by educators at institutions such as California Institute of Technology, lesson sets for secondary schools coordinated with Smithsonian Institution outreach programs, and workshops with stakeholders from American Geophysical Union, European Geosciences Union, and professional societies like Seismological Society of America. Public-facing products and alerts interface with services run by the Space Weather Prediction Center and inform emergency planners in agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local utilities.
Category:United States Geological Survey Category:Geomagnetism Category:Earth sciences organizations