Space weather effects on airline communications in the high latitude regions
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
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Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Farideh Honary (Principal Investigator) | |
| Steven Marple (Researcher) |
Publications
Cannon P
(2015)
A GPU-Accelerated Finite-Difference Time-Domain Scheme for Electromagnetic Wave Interaction With Plasma
in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
Hallam Jonathan
(2014)
Predictions and observations of HF radio propagation in the northerly ionosphere: The effect of the solar flares and a weak CME in early January 2014.
in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Honary Farideh
(2014)
Space Weather effects on airline communications in the high latitude regions
in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
McKay D
(2015)
All-sky interferometric riometry
in Radio Science
Ogunmodimu O
(2020)
Empirical modelling of auroral absorption during disturbed periods of interplanetary coronal mass ejection events
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Ogunmodimu O
(2019)
Solar flare induced cosmic noise absorption
in NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and Geophysics
Rogers N
(2016)
Improving the twilight model for polar cap absorption nowcasts Twilight Model for PCA Nowcasts
in Space Weather
Rogers N
(2015)
Assimilation of real-time riometer measurements into models of 30 MHz polar cap absorption
in Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
| Description | Lancaster researchers have successfully demonstrated techniques for modelling HF radio absorption in real time by assimilating high-energy particle measurements from satellites and measurements from a large array of ground-based radio receivers called riometers, which measure the atmospheric (ionospheric) absorption of cosmic radio noise. This model has been used to produce global maps of the signal strength reductions expected on HF radio communications. Signal strength losses can be particularly severe in the high-latitude regions where HF communications can fail completely in the days following solar events such as flares and coronal mass ejections. Tests of the new model during 'Polar Cap Absorption' events demonstrated much-improved absorption prediction errors of up to 36% (root-mean-squared error) with significantly reduced model biases [Rogers and Honary, 2015] compared with the best available model (DRAP) from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These improvements result from novel data assimilation techniques in which the model automatically optimises the latitude boundary of the polar cap (the region of intense solar particle precipitation) and optimises the empirical characterisation of ionospheric chemistry changes during the twilight period. Based on 16 years of archived riometer data, the project discovered large variations in the twilight ionospheric response, particularly after sunrise, which were correlated in time and between neighbouring riometers - information which contributes to improved data assimilation and improved real-time absorption maps [Rogers et al., 2015, 2016]. The project has also evaluated the correlations between absorption in the auroral zones and particle precipitation measured on a constellation of low-Earth orbiting satellites and showed how these can be related to real-time spacecraft measurements of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. |
| Exploitation Route | Lancaster's HF radio absorption maps have been successfully integrated with the radio propagation models developed by the University of Leicester. We expect that with investment from the European Space Agency and with an ongoing collaboration with the UK Met Office, University of Leicester and SolarMetrics ltd. these HF absorption models will be developed into a valuable service for the airline industry and other HF radio users. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Transport |
| Description | The radio propagation models developed under this award have been further developed under the ESA ARTES programme through innovate UK funding. The modelling addresses the needs of the airline industry operating on trans-polar and oceanic routes by providing nowcasts and forecasts of HF radio communication signal strengths for aircraft route planning in order to improve the efficiency and safety of operations. A further funding by UK Research and Innovation through SWIMMER initiative (Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk) has been approved in June 2020 and is designed to deliver improved monitoring capability for the UK's Met Office by translating research into products for the prediction and mitigation of space weather effects. The implementation of our models by the UK Met Office will have a huge impact in many industries including aviation, High Frequency radio communications, navigation and satellite operations. |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Transport |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | EC |
| Amount | £265,286 (GBP) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 12/2008 |
| End | 12/2010 |