Ionospheric Electric and Ground Magnetic Pc 5 Variations at Low-latitude and Equatorial MAGDAS Stations

Dear Fr. McNamara and Dr. Sugon / Manila Observatory
(CC: Prof. Yumoto),

Thank you for your cooperation.
I am Akihiro Ikeda, a PhD. student at Kyushu University, Japan.
My supervisor is Prof. Yumoto.

I submitted an abstract to a conference
which is “Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2010″.
The conference will be held at Chiba, Japan  on 23-28 May 2010.

I invited you as coauthors of the study.
Pardon me for my submission without your consent.

=======================================
Title:
Ionospheric Electric and Ground Magnetic Pc 5 Variations at
Low-latitude and Equatorial MAGDAS Stations

Authors:
A.Ikeda, K.Yumoto, M. Shinohara, K. Nozaki, A. Yoshikawa,
T. Shimbaru, A. Fujimoto, B.M.Shevtsov, V. V. Bychkov,
Q. M. Sugon, Jr.,and D. McNamara
========================================

If you have any concerns or questions,
please feel free to contact me.
We can modify the abstract by 9 Feb.

Sincerely,
———————————————–
Akihiro Ikeda
Ph.D candidate
Space and Earth Electromagnetism Laboratory
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University
6-10-1 Hakozaki,Higashi-ku,Fukuoka,812-8581,Japan
TEL : +81-92-641-3131 (ext. 8414)
E-mail : a-ikeda@geo.kyushu-u.ac.jp
———————————————–

Researchers from Taiwan universities and PHILVOCS visit Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Global Positioning System (GPS) Station in Manila Observatory

This morning at 10:45 a.m. we received visitors from Taiwan and the Philppine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs).  The researcher from National Central University (Taiwan) is Chiu Chiyu; from Cheng Kung University (Taiwan) are Chen Chiang-Hsin, Chen Nan-an, and Hung Huang-Kai; and from PhilVocs are Paul Alanis, Noli Sexon, and Rene Unating.  With me are Randell Teodoro (Solid Earth Dynamics) and Genevieve Lorenzo (Urban Air Quality).

The Taiwanese researchers will install six (6) GPS stations on the coastline of Mindoro.  The researchers from PHILVOCS accompanied them to Manila Observatory, so that they can see the Manila Observatory’s GPS station which was installed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).  One of the Taiwanese researchers said that he only downloads Manila Observatory’s data from NASA website; it is his first time to see the actual station.  His team wants to measure the water vapor column using the GPS data.

The Manila Observatory’s GPS station looks like a pole vertically planted on the ground.  On top of the pole is a bulb.  This station is connected to the Manila Observatory’s computer servers which sends the data to NASA.

One of the Taiwanese researchers asked if it is possible to get meteorological data from the Observatory.  Genie said that the Observatory’s meteorological data is only from commercial MET stations; they may not be research grade.  The Taiwanese researcher asked for the specs, so that he can judge whether the resolution is acceptable.  Genie suggested that he writes a formal request to the Manila Observatory’s director, Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.  Ms. Loyzaga is interested in forming formal research collaborations with other universities.

I left the group with Genie and Randel at about 11:16 because I have a class.

FM-CW Radar: Fatal: Network Error: Timed Out

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:39:35 +0800

Dear Akihiro Ikeda,

There are some messages in MatLab that I don’t understand.  It says, “Fatal
network error: connection timed out.”

Saving…  c:\radar\qld\qld_data\qldop_20100122
Sending QLD Plots. Please wait…
Fatal: Network error: Connection timed out
Datas had gone to Japan completely !

Extracting from archive : C:/win/SK_Manager/OBS/ION/20100122/20100122052800.lzh

Melted   20100122052800.ion

Sending QL Plots. Please wait…
Fatal: Network error: Connection timed out
Datas had gone to Japan completely !

Sincerely,

Dr. Quirino Sugon Jr.
Manila Observatory
Upper Atmosphere Division
Ateneo de Manila University Campus
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel. 4266001 local 4850

FM-CW Radar delayed write failed

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:41:34 +0800

Dear Akihiro Ikeda,

The FM-CW computer has the following message:

“Windows delayed write failed.  Windows was unable to save all data for the file Y$Mft.  The data has been lost.  The error may be caused by failure in your computer hardware or network connection.  Please try to save this file
elsewhere.”

There is an “Ok” button but I cannot use the mouse the press it.  The computer
hung (I cannot use the mouse), but the SkManager and MATLAB are still running.  Do you suggest that I restart the computer?

Sincerely,

Dr. Quirino M. Sugon Jr.

Manila Observatory
Upper Atmosphere Division
Ateneo de Manila University Campus
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel. 4266001 local 4850

Manila Observatory’s Ionosphere Division: Annual Report for 1996

I. INSTRUMENTATION

A. Vertical Sounding

The IPS-42 Digital Ionosonde replaced the C-3 analog film-recording ionosonde.  The sweep frequency is from one to 15 MHz.  the ionosphere directly overhead is probed twice a day.

B. Trans-Equatorial or Oblique Ionosonde

Signals transmitted across the equator from MO and received in several southern stations reveal the changing characteristics of the equatorial ionosphere.  The sweep frequency is from 17 to 70 MHz.  The transmission is four times an hour all day.  this is a cooperative work between MO and DSTO of Australia.

C.  Ionospheric Tomography

Signals from a set of satellites, the precursor of the GPS system, are simultaneously received by six stations along the 120 degree east meridian.  Two are in Mainland China, two are in Taiwan and the remaining includes the MO stations of Baguio and Manila.  To be determined are the morphology and dynamics of the equatorial ionosphere, in particular, the equatorial ionospheric anomaly.  This cooperative work is between Wuhan University in Mainland China, National Central University in Taiwan and MO.

The original tomographic equipment used removable optical disks with two-Gigabytes capacity for reading programs and writing data.  However, dust and mold accumulating on their surfaces made them useless.  Fortunately at this very time, large capacity low-cost optical hard disks became available.  The program was modified so that hard disks replaced the optical disks.  Hard disks have faster writing and retrieval rates and are much cheaper.  The optical disk was considered as the ultimate storage media, so their high cost was justified during the design period.  The high humidity of the Philippines may not have been foreseen.

The method of sending large amounts of data to Taiwan has been improved and optimized.  Data handling, retrieval and storage can be done faster.

D.  Fluxgate Magnetometer

The instrument runs 24 hours a day to measure the effects of the equatorial electrojet.  The computer program was corrected for continual recording.  The amount of data recorded is about 50 Megabytes per month.  data has to be downloaded every month since the geomagnetic data recorder has only 80 Megabytes capacity.

II.  COMPUTERIZATION

A.  Staff Computer Skills

The staff became more skilled in computer use.  They gained familiarity with the different programs developed last year and in software capable of graphing.  Upgrading was done on some program modules like the Ionogram Dumping, Scaling, Data Entry, Ionospheric Data, Magnetic Data and Data Retrieving Modules.

B.  Generic Data Retrieving Module

A new and more versatile data retrieving module was developed.  this was used to extract Spread-F occurrence, Sporadic E and other ionospheric parameters.  The module uses Macros and @Function formulas in the three-dimensional Lotus spreadsheet to detect the occurrence of desired phenomena.

C.  Archiving/Data Storage

Archiving and data back-ups were done using two media, the 4mm 2-Gigabytes DDS Data Cartridge tape and the 150-Megabytes Data Cartridge for the Sytos Tape Drive.  PKWare software not only copressed the files but made file transfers very fast.

1.  Ionograms

One thousand five hundred digital ionograms were generated monthly.  the files were compressed and stored in the Digital Data Tape.

2.  Ionospheric Data and Magnetic Data

Files contaning numeric data were scaled manually from the ionograms.  Aided by computer programs, these were compressed and stored in Digital Data Tape.

3.  Tomography Data

Manila and Baguio data were compressed and transferred to 4mm Data Tape.

4.  Fluxgate Magnetometer Data

The magnetic data were compressed in five-day batches.  since the data involved at least 5,000 files per month, it took about 4 hours to compress and transfer them to the 4 mm Data Tape.

4.  4 MM Data Tape

One copy of the 4 mm Data Tape was sent to Taiwan and another kept there.

III.  RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

A.  Database Build-Up

The database was expanded to cover two decades of ionospheric data.  Data from as far back as 1955 were encoded.  Also encoded were the monthly ozone data from PAGASA that cover the period 1980 to 1994.  The geomagnetic database was likewise expanded.

B.  Research

Efforts were taken to determine the relation of the ionosphere with environmental concerns.  the availability of the ozone data covering the current sunspot cycle that started in 1986 made possible correlation studies with sunspot numbers and ionospheric parameters such as foE and foF2.

Several graphical methods were tried in order to bring out diurnal, seasonal and other patterns, including correlation with ozone and suspot data.  Various three diminsional graphical color presentations of monthly medians of foF2 for 27 years were also employed.

IV.  MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

Damage due to lightning was minimized due to a better grounding system.  The tomography antenna was repaired due to water seepage.  A bigger coax cable resulted to increased satellite signal gain.

V.  PUBLICATIONS

Digitized data and f-Plots were sent only to the World Data Center A (WDC-A) in Boulder, Colorado.  Agencies that formerly received printed data from us can now obtain them from WDC-A.  To copies of the 1995 ionospheric data were preinted and book bound for the MO Library.

VI.  STAFF DEVELOPMENT

In addition to in-house skills upgrading, the Staff took the special course on digital interfacing at the Ateneo Computer Science Department.  the staff attended a Remote Sensing seminar at the University of Asia and the Pacific.  They participated in retreats in markina and Tagaytay.

VII.  FUTURE WORK

A.  Ultraviolet Radiation Project

  1. Development of low-cost UV-B radiation sensors
  2. Development of low-cost data loggers
  3. Deployment of these instruments at various latitudes and altitudes in the Philippines
  4. Determination of meteorological parameters at the same time and locations
  5. Determination of columnar ozone
  6. Analysis of the abovementioned data

B.  Continuing Ionospheric Research

  1. Atlas of low-latitude spread-F ionograms
  2. Correlation analysis of spread-F and total electron content
  3. Correlation analysis of spread-F and solar cycles

Upper Atmosphere Division (UAD): Mission and Vision

The Upper Atmosphere Division (UAD) of the Manila Observatory seeks to become an internationally respected Center for Space Weather Research in the Philippines.

As a research division of the Manila Observatory, the UAD seeks to understand three things about the ionosphere: (1) its composition and variability, (2) its effect on the propagation of radio waves from ground transmitters and satellites, and (3) how it is affected by solar activity, geomagnetic field, tropospheric weather, and earthquakes.

As a research facility in the Philippines, the UAD seeks to provide the country with timely information on the state of the ionosphere and its significance on the everyday lives of the Filipinos, such as the role of solar cycle in climate change, the distortion of GPS signals near the equatorial region, and the damage on power grids due to geomagnetic storms.

The UAD seeks to do all of these in the Jesuit scientific tradition: to go to the crossroads and frontiers of the world, and conquer the world for Christ.

Administrators of Kyushu University will visit Manila Observatory on 8-9 Feb 2010

Dear Fr. McNamara, Dr. Loyzaga, Ms. Olaguer, Dr. Lagrosas and Dr. Sugon:

Greetings from Fukuoka! I’m writing on behalf of Prof. Yumoto.
Prof. Yumoto  and some administrators of Kyushu University (KU)
would like to visit  Manila Observatory on February 8 or 9, 2010.
We’d like to know if it is ok on your side. If it is, please let us know
which day will you be available.

The main purpose is to show the KU administrators the ongoing collaboration
between MO and SERC-KU and maybe discuss with them future collaborations.   If it is possible, we would like to request also the presence of some  administrators from Ateneo de Manila University especially the Director of OIP (Office of International Programs), Dr. Ma. Mercedes Rodrigo and the academic  vice president, Dr. Antonette Palma-Angeles.

Hoping for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,
Maria Gracita Cardinal
Graduate Student
Space and Earth Electromagnetism Lab
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Graduate School of Sciences
Kyushu University 33
6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku
Fukuoka 812-8581 Japan

Socioeconomic impact of space weather: the vulnerability of power grids

In an opening address, Mary Glackin, deputy undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA, pointed out that recent government support for space weather prediction has been strong.  “I think we’re in good shape going into the solar max, but we have some vulnerabilities,” she said.  She noted that although the current solar cycle has been weak so far, it only takes one powerful solar storm to cause serious damage to the infrastructure on which society relies.

In a panel on socioeconomic impact of space weather, moderator Daniel Baker (University of Colorado at Boulder) noted that if an extreme solar storm were to occur today, it could cause an estimated $1-2 trillion in damage.  Despite the potential for enormous damage, it is difficult to sustain society’s attention on natural disasters that happen infrequently, noted Todd LaPorte (George Mason University).  “We react; we do not anticipate,” he said.

John Kappenman (Metatech Corporation) emphasized the vulnerability of the power grid, noting that current design practices and the lack of a design code have greatly escalated the risk.  A solar storm “could permanently damage large portions of this infrastructure,” he said.

Source: Tretkoff, E. (2009), Preparing for the upcoming solar maximum, Space Weather, 7, S07005, doi:10.1029/2009SW000512.

*I read this in Space Weather Quarterly, p. 9.

Unexpected ionospheric turbulence observed by the C/NOFS satellite

Before C/NOFS, the researchers believed turbulence in the ionosphere occurred primarily in the ionosphere  occurred primarily around the equator early during the night.  But that is not what they found.

“We actually saw a lot more irregularity present than we had anticipated,” said Odile de La Beaujardiere, C/NOFS’ principal investigator, with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate.

Scientists had thought that most ionospheric irregularities began around sunset and lasted for several hours before disappearing.  “What we found is that for more than half of the time, the irregularities were starting around midnight and continuing throughout the night and in the morning.  And we have a third set of small irregularities that can also start again just at sunrises, rather than sunsets,” de La Beujardiere said.

Source: Irene Klotz  Satellite observations reveal unexpected ionospheric  turbulence, Space Weather, 7, S07003, doi:10.1029/2009SW0000491.

*I read this in Space Weather Quarterly, International Journal of Reserch and Applications, vol. 6, issue 3, 2009.  pp. 5-6

Mrs. Antonia Loyzaga of Manila Observatory on Michael Padua of typhoon2000.com

Hi Gen,

Thanks for this.  MO and UP NIGS are partners in the Typhoon Preparedness Center.  Unfortunately, this is not mentioned in the article. In any case, though,  Michael is indeed a dedicated young man.

What MO, NIGS and ChristianAid  had wanted to do is help institutionalize the risk aspect of his work by linking it with flood analysis of the Bicol River Basin-BRB1 and BRB2 and the community served by Naga through Naga City PDO and Engineer’s office, ADNU-led Bicol Federation of Higher Education and Bicol Association of Parochial Schools, and, the ChristianAid supported network of community-NGO partners led by COPE.

The correct name of the center is the Typhoon and Floodwatch Center. They receive data from the Home-Based Rain Gauge Network established via the work of Dr. CP David, as Visiting Scientist and Team Leader of BRB1 and 2.  The funding and support-in-kind to link Michael’s hazard work to local risk reduction came from MO and our partners, SMART, ChristianAid and Ateneo de Naga.

Co-Team leaders for the project were Doc Celine and Doc Rosa.  Just fyi, only ADNU and COPE are supporting the social aspects of risk reduction today. The Typhoon Center does what it does best-watch typhoons.  ADNU is going to be the center for the disaster risk GIS consortium for the Bicol Region and a there is a lot of work to be done. What I, personally, worry most about the crafting the infrastructure that will support the risk reduction work after individuals like Michael may, for one reason or another, no longer be able to devote themselves entirely to their chosen task.

The infrastructure is important for many reasons, including , as Fr. Skelskey told me last Friday, I  ”..don’t embarass myself” when seeking research collaboration. While we cannot quarantee excellence at this time, we must continue to support its pursuit which means that some must be willing to invest in laying the foundation. Michael may have an easier time with this because, among the things the PDI reporter failed to mention, Michael Padua’s grandfather owns the Naga College Foundation and has supported his work 100% since he was a young man.

Interstingly, Fr. Joel Tabora and many other community NGOs (Save the
Children,Accion Contra Hambre, etc.)had never met nor seen Michael until MO and ChristianAid held a Bicol-wide conference in partnership with ADNU, BFE and BACS.  I was very happy to see people like Mang Romy Cabrido, former MPDO of Sto. Domingo, Albay. He came to the conference at his own expense when he heard about it. Mang Romy’s son Hilel recently wanted to apply to join MO. He was recommended by Dr. Mahar Lagmay when he decided to leave the mining industry. Unfortunately,  MO was not able to support his engagement.

Some of the initial work on Bicol is on:  www.riskmapping-bicol.org . ADNU set-up the website within 24 hours after the conference. The continue to maintain it while waiting for new content.  Perhaps the MO website could site the PDI article and include a link to the riskmapping-website, as well?

Gen, if not already there, would you and Donna also discuss with Docs, Gemma, James and Nofel how you can place a link on our website to the NASA news article? There could even be a brief explanation on how many worked on Ondoy and the rapid risk assessment partnership with Docs Ando and Mahar of UP Marine Science and NIGS.

Maraming salamat once again for all your hard work!

Toni

Antonia Yulo Loyzaga
Executive Director
Manila Observatory
Ateneo de Manila Campus
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
P.O. Box 122, U.P. Post Office
Philippines 1101
Phone:(632)426-5921(23)
Mobile:(63-917)523-2505
E-mail:aloyzaga@observatory.ph

Padre Faura’s Notes: Genie Lorenzo sent a link to the Inquirer article, “Michael Padua: One-Man Weather Center