I am the Deputy Science Leader of the Space Weather and Atmosphere Team at BAS, and a member of the NERC supported UK EISCAT Support Group (UKESG).

I started at BAS in January 2012 as part of the Middle Atmosphere Dynamics group in the climate program. I worked on projects involving the dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere using a variety of instruments, but concentrating on the two Medium Frequency (MF) radars that BAS operated at our research stations at Halley and Rothera. With the restructure of the BAS science programs I joined the newly formed Space Weather and Atmosphere Team.

Being a Space Weather scientist means that I have been lucky enough to spend time in both the Arctic and Antarctic during my career; the polar regions are the primary gateways by which space weather interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere.  I am currently the PI for the MF radar at Rothera, which I use to study the coupling of the atmosphere to the space environment.

Education

• 1999-2002 PhD in Solar-Terrestrial Physics (Lancaster University)
• 1995-1999 MPhys. in Physics with Space Science and Technology (University of Leicester)

Employment

• 2012 onwards British Antarctic Survey
• 2010-2011 Senior Research Associate, Department of Physics, Lancaster University
• 2005-2010 Senior Research Associate, Department of Communication Systems, Lancaster University
• 2004-2005 Lecturer (temporary cover), Department of Communication Systems, Lancaster University
• 2002-2004 Post-doctoral fellow, High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA

In my career to date I have worked on a number of projects related to understanding the Sun-Earth system, these have includes studies of the aurora, HF radio absorption, particle dynamics, geomagnetic pulsations, plasma heating and mesospheric dust. I was very lucky to take part in experiments that generated artificial aurora and be the project scientist for a VLF receiver mounted on a Yorkshire school roof that formed part of the AARDDVARK network.

Research interests

I study how the layers of the atmosphere and the near-Earth space environment couple together – known as vertical coupling.

My main interests are:

•  space weather influences on the neutral middle atmosphere and the effects on regional climate variability around the poles
•  how the meteorology of the lower atmosphere impacts on processes in the upper atmosphere
•  heating of the upper atmosphere via space weather events

Each of these is important for our understanding of space weather events and how they impact our lives.

There is growing evidence that changes in the solar wind can lead to temperature changes in the polar regions. Waves the transfer energy and momentum into the upper atmosphere can modify conditions that affect satellite signal fade-out & scintillation, and the behaviour of electric current systems. Space weather events lead to heating of the upper atmosphere which in turn affects the lifetime of satellites and space debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This is important to understand since LEO is becoming very crowded and collisions with debris can seriously damage satellites.

Collaborations

Part of the EISCAT Science Support Group working with colleagues at RAL Space

Middle & Upper Atmosphere

• Venkateswara Rao, N., P. J. Espy, R. E. Hibbins, D. C. Fritts, and A. J. Kavanagh: Observational evidence of the influence of Antarctic stratospheric ozone variability on middle atmosphere dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 7853–7859, doi:10.1002/2015GL065432., 2015
• T. Moffat-Griffin, M. J. Jarvis, S. R. Colwell, A. J. Kavanagh, G. L. Manney, and W. H. Daffer: Seasonal variations in lower stratospheric gravity wave energy above the Falkland Islands, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 118, 10,861–10,869, doi:10.1002/jgrd.50859., 2013.
• Routledge, G. M. J. Kosch, A. Senior, A. J. Kavanagh, I. W. McCrea, and M. T. Rietveld: A statistical survey of electron temperature enhancements in heater modulated polar mesospheric summer echoes at EISCAT, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physics 73(4), 472-482. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2010.11.004. 2011.
• A. Kero, C. F. Enell, A. J. Kavanagh, J. Vierinen, I. Virtanen, E. Turunen: Could negative ion production explain the polar mesosphere winter echo (PMWE) modulation in active HF heating experiments? Geophys. Res. Lett. 35(23), doi: 10.1029/2008GL035798 2008
• A. J. Kavanagh, F. Honary, M. T. Rietveld, and A. Senior. First Observations of the Artificial Modulation of Polar Mesospheric Winter Echoes. Geophys. Res. Lett., 33(19) L19801. doi:10.1029/2006GL027565, 2006.
• E. Griffin, M. Kosch, A. Aruliah, A. J. Kavanagh, I. McWhirter, A. Senior, E. Ford, C. Davis, T. Abe, J. Kurihara, K. Kauristie, and Y. Ogawa. Combined Ground-based Optical Support for the Aurora (DELTA) Sounding Rocket Campaign. Earth, Planets and Space. 58(9), 1113-1121, 2006.

Energetic Precipitation

• C. J. Rodger, A. J. Kavanagh, M. A. Clilverd, and S. R. Marple: Comparison between POES energetic electron precipitation observations and riometer absorptions: Implications for determining true precipitation fluxes, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 118, 7810–7821, doi:10.1002/2013JA019439. 2013.
• A. J. Kavanagh, F. Honary, E. F. Donovan, T. Ulich, and M. H. Denton (2012): Key features of >30 keV electron precipitation during high speed solar wind streams: A superposed epoch analysis, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A00L09, doi:10.1029/2011JA017320.
• Rodger, C. J., M. A. Clilverd, A. J. Kavanagh, C. E. J. Watt, P. T. Verronen, and T. Raita: Contrasting the responses of three different ground-based instruments to energetic electron precipitation, Radio Sci., 47, RS2021, doi:10.1029/2011RS004971. 2012.
• J. J. Denton, M.H. Denton, A. J. Kavanagh, H. Harron, T. Ulich, J. S. Denton: Training school pupils in the sceintific method: Student participation in an international VLF radio experiment, Phys. Educ., 47, 64, doi: 10.1088/0031-9120/47/1/64, 2012
• A. J. Kavanagh, M. Denton, J. Denton, H. Harron: Probing Geospace with VLF radio signals, Astronomy and Geophysics, 52(2), 27-30, 2011
• P. Wild, F. Honary, A. J. Kavanagh and A. Senior: Triangulating the height of Cosmic Noise Absorption: A method for estimating the Characteristic Energy of Precipitating Electrons, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 115(A12326) doi:10.1029/2010JA015766. 2010
  Space Weather
• M. A. Clilverd, C. J. Rodger, S. Dietrich T. Raita, T. Ulich, E. Clarke, A. W. P. Thomson and A. J. Kavanagh: High-latitude geomagnetically induced current events observed on very low frequency radio wave receiver systems. Rad. Sci. 45. doi: 10.1029/2009RS004215. 2010
• N. Longden, F. Honary, A. J. Kavanagh, and J. Manninen: The Driving Mechanisms of Particle Precipitation during the Moderate Geomagnetic Storm of 7 January 2005, Ann. Geophys.. 25(9) SRef-ID:1432-0576/angeo/2007-25-2053. 2007.
• M. A. Clilverd, C. J. Rodger, R. M. Millan, J. G. Sample, M. Kokorowski, M. P. McCarthy, T. Ulich, T. Raita, A. J. Kavanagh, and E. Spanswick: Energetic particle precipitation into the middle atmosphere triggered by a coronal mass ejection, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics. 112 A12206. doi:10.1029/2007JA012395. 2007.
• A. J. Kavanagh, G. Lu, E. F. Donovan, G. D. Reeves, F. Honary, J. Manninen, and T. J. Immel: Energetic Electron Precipitation during Sawtooth Injections, Ann. Geophys. 25(5), 1199-1214. SRef-ID:1432-0576/angeo/2007-25-1199. 2007.
• A. Kavanagh and M. Denton: High-speed solar-wind streams and geospace interactions. Astronomy and Geophysics. 48(6) 6.24-6.26, 2007.
• A. J. Kavanagh, S. R. Marple, F. Honary, I. W. McCrea, and A. Senior: On Solar Protons and Polar Cap Absorption: Constraints on an Empirical Relationship, Ann. Geophys. 22(4) pp. 1133-1147. SRef-ID:1432-0576/ag/2004-22-1133. 2004.
• A. J. Kavanagh, M. J. Kosch, F. Honary, A. Senior, S. R. Marple, E. E. Woodfield, and I. W. McCrea: The Statistical Dependence of Auroral Absorption on Geomagnetic and Solar Wind Parameters, Ann. Geophys. 22(3), 877-887. SRef-ID:1432-0576/ag/2004-22-877. 2004.

Substorms

• E. E. Woodfield, J. A. Wild, A. J. Kavanagh, A. Senior, and S. E. Milan: Combining incoherent scatter radar data and IRI2007 to monitor the open-closed field line boundary during substorms, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics A00115. doi:10.1029/2010JA015751. 2010.
• M. Beharrell, A. J.Kavanagh and F. Honary: On the origin of high m magnetospheric waves, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 115, doi:10.1029/2009JA014709. 2010
• M. A. Clilverd, C. J. Rodger, J. B. Brundell, J. L. Bahr, N. Cobbett, T. Moffat-Griffin, A. J. Kavanagh, A. Seppälä, N. R. Thomson, R. H. W. Friedel, and F. W. Menk: Energetic electron precipitation during sub-storm injection events: high latitude fluxes and an unexpected mid-latitude signature, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics. doi:10.1029/2008JA013220. 2008
• A. Aminaei, F. Honary, A. J. Kavanagh, E. Spanswick, and A. Viljanen: Characteristics of Night-time Absorption Spike Events. Ann. Geophys. 24(7), 1887-1904. SRef-ID:1432-0576/ag/2006-24-1887. 2006.
• A. J. Kavanagh, F. Honary, I. W. McCrea, E. Donovan, E. E. Woodfield, J. Manninen, and P. C. Anderson: Substorm Related Changes in Precipitation in the Dayside Auroral Zone – A Multi Instrument Case Study, Ann. Geophys. 20(9), 1321-1334. SRef-ID:1432-0576/ag/2002-20-1321. 2002.

Ionosphere and Aurora

• A. J. Kavanagh, J. A. Wild, and F. Honary: Observations of Omega Bands Using an Imaging Riometer, Ann. Geophys.. 27(11), 4183-4195. SRef-ID: 1432-0576/angeo/2009-27-4183, 2009.
• L. Alfonsi, A. J. Kavanagh, E. Amata, P. Cilliers, E. Correia, M. Freeman, K. Kauristie, R. Liu, J.-P. Luntama, C. N. Mitchell, G.A. Zherebtsov: Probing the high latitude ionosphere from ground-based observations: The state of current knowledge and capabilities during IPY (2007-2009), J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 70(18). 2293-2308, 2008
• B. Gustavsson, M. J. Kosch, A. Senior, A. J. Kavanagh, B. U. E. Brändström, and E. M. Blixt: Combined EISCAT Radar and Optical Multispectral and Tomographic Observations of Black Aurora, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics. ISSN 0148-0227. 113 A06308. doi:10.1029/2007JA012999. 2008.
• A. Senior, A. J. Kavanagh, M. J. Kosch, and F. Honary: Statistical Relationships Between Cosmic Radio Noise Absorption and Ionospheric Electrical Conductances in the Auroral Zone, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics. ISSN 0148-0227. 112 A11301. doi:10.1029/2007JA012519. 2007.
• K. Cierpka, M. J. Kosch, H. Holma, A. J. Kavanagh, and T. Hagfors: Novel Fabry-Perot Interferometer Measurements of F-region Ion Temperature, Geophys. Res. Lett. 30(6), 26-1-26-4. doi:10.1029/2002GL015833. 2003.
  Artificial Aurora
• M. J. Kosch, M. T. Rietveld, A. Senior, I. W. McCrea, A. J. Kavanagh, B. Isham, and F. Honary: Novel Artificial Optical Annular Structures in the High Latitude Ionosphere over EISCAT, Geophys. Res. Lett. 31(12) L12805 1-4. doi:10.1029/2004GL019713. 2004.
• M. J. Kosch, M. T. Rietveld, A. J. Kavanagh, C. Davis, T. K. Yeoman, F. Honary, and T. Hagfors: High-latitude Pump-induced Optical Emissions for Frequencies Close to the Third Electron Gyro-harmonic, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29(23), 2112-2115. doi:10.1029/2002GL015744. 2002.

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

• Reidy, J., Kavanagh, A., & Wild, M. (2025). Data from the EISCAT UHF and VHF between 2001- 2021, integrated at 10 minutes and 1 hour between 50-200km (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/7d907fd0-8f08-45a6-ab91-89f6f0221b10

• Woodfield, E., Glauert, S., Menietti, J., Horne, R., Kavanagh, A., & Shprits, Y. (2022). Acceleration of electrons by whistler-mode hiss waves at Saturn (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/c6202511-d70b-45ae-9b72-ff30f4888f5f

1. PRESCIENT

   PRESCIENT supports long-term, strategically important measurements and capabilities for the wider science community.

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2. Predicting the mesosphere

   MesoS2D uses powerful radars and satellites to study a little-understood layer of the atmosphere, the mesosphere.

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3. Space Weather Impact on Ground-based Systems (SWIGS)

   SWIGS investigated how space weather drives geomagnetically induced currents in power grids, pipelines, and railways.

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4. Atmospheric warming impacts on satellite debris

   Joule Heating investigated how space weather affects the upper atmosphere’s ability to slow down orbiting satellite debris.

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5. Space Weather Observatory

   Assessing Space Weather impacts

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6. SuperDARN

   The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) has been operating as an international co-operative organisation for over 25 years, and has proved to be one of the most successful tools for studying dynamical processes in the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and neutral atmosphere.

   Read more of: SuperDARN

   

7. Arctic atmosphere and space weather research facilities

   The UK EISCAT support group (UKESG) is a collaboration between the British Antarctic Survey and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, funded via the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS).

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9. Decoding Ionospheric Dynamics

   DRIIVE researches how polar ionosphere changes affect satellite orbits, communications, and space weather forecasts.

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1. Rocket launch discovers long-sought global electric field on Earth

   An international team of scientists, including a researcher from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has, for the first time, successfully measured a planet-wide electric field thought to be as fundamental to Earth as its gravity and magnetic fields.

   Read more of: Rocket launch discovers long-sought global electric field on Earth

   

2. BAS scientists support NASA rocket mission

   Dr Andrew Kavanagh of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Space Weather team has supported a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rocket experiment which aims to uncover unique features of our atmosphere that enable life on Earth.

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3. Grant to understand future impacts on atmospheric prediction

   A new project to improve scientists understanding of the impact of space weather and climate change on the atmosphere starts this month (January 2022). A team from British Antarctic Survey, […]

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4. Riometer (Relative Ionospheric Opacity Meter)

   The Halley Research Station multiband riometer is a passive instrument that measures radio energy from natural astronomical sources.

   Read more of: Riometer (Relative Ionospheric Opacity Meter)

   

5. SkiYMET

   A meteor radar that uses the scatter from meteor trails to estimate horizontal neutral winds between 80 and 110 km

   Read more of: SkiYMET

   

6. Medium Frequency Radar

   The Medium Frequency (MF) radar at Rothera Research Station measures an altitude profile of the horizontal wind in the mesosphere, between 55 and 95 km.

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7. Halley MF (Medium Frequency) Radar

   The MF radar at Halley measures an altitude profile of the horizontal wind in the mesosphere, between 55 and 95 km.

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8. Most advanced space weather radar to be built in Arctic

   The most advanced space weather radar in the world is to be built in the Arctic by an international partnership including the UK, thanks to new investment, including in the […]

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• UK representative, EISCAT Science Advisory Committee
• Member, EISCAT Science Support Group
• Topical Editor , Annales Geophysicae
• Principle Investigator, Rothera MF radar
• Visiting Scientist, RAL Space
• Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society
• Member, European Geosciences Union
• Co-Principle Investigator, Halley Riometer
• Chair, URSI Incoherent Scatter Working Group
• Member, EISCAT Common Programme Working Group