Originally qualified as an Electronics Engineer and worked with a subsidiary of GEC Telecommunications on a variety of electronic business systems, commissioning, maintenance and a limited amount of development work.

Joined British Antarctic Survey in 1976 and did two years, followed by a further year, at Halley Station, Antarctica. Duties were operation and maintenance of the ionospheric observatory, but also included analysis of the data. I initiated a study of night-time ionospheric features at Halley (the Mid-Latitude Trough) and carried out several innovations to the antenna system and control electronics.

In 1981 I was the Antarctic field engineer for BAS’s first digital ionospheric radar system, which also incorporated the first mini-computer that BAS deployed in the Antarctic. Another first (we think!) was the construction of the tallest man-made object in Antarctic, as I led the construction of  two 45m high masts for the antenna system.

From this point on I pursued a dual track with BAS, developing radar systems for studying the auroral ionosphere and publishing the science results, usually in collaboration with satellite experimenters.

From 1986 I was the Project Manager for the Halley SuperDARN radar, an advanced over -the- horizon radar system capable of measuring the motion of the ionosphere over  a large (3 million sq. kms) part of East  Antarctica. (See www.superdarn.jhuapl.edu for further details). This was a very productive science period, combining a state of the art instrument with extensive international collaboration and access to a very wide range of datasets. The radar enabled us to make significant advances in understanding how the solar wind interacts with the Earth’s magnetopshere and upper atmosphere.

From 1995 I was  Group Leader for the Solar Wind/Magnetopshere/Ionosphere/Thermosphere group, leading that reaseach activity. From 2000 I was part of the Magentic Reconnection and Substorm project team but gradually started asusming more senior management duties. Scientifically, this period was very satisfying, with the group successfully moving from an experimental basis to one that incorporated more theory and modelling elements.

In 2004 I was appointed Head of Physical Sciences Division and becanme a member of the BAS Board.

In 2009, with the reorganisation of the science management structure, I became Board Member for Science Delivery with responsibility for delivering science across the six science programmes.

In 2014 I took partial retirement, now working 3 days per week. I am providing project support to the BAS Directors, working on a variety of internal (to BAS) and international liaison projects.

Research interests

Space weather: in particular ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling and the flow of energy through the geospace system.

Engineering: development of radio systems for space weather research.

Earth System Science: a basic understanding so that I can set different elements of science (inside and outside BAS) in context.

Collaborations

I have collaborated with most institutes involved in the SuperDARN radar network (http://vt.superdarn.org/tiki-index.php) and various satellite mission teams in NASA and ESA. Within the UK collaborations with the Univeristies of Leicester, Bath and Imperial College London have bene particularly fruitful.

I have led the management activity, until summer 2015, in BAS’s collaboration with the Netherlands Polar Programme (http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/Netherlands+Polar+Programme) at Rothera station.

I am currently collaborating with the S. Atlantic Environment Research Institute (SAERI – http://south-atlantic-research.org/) on the future science for S. Georgia project.

In excess of 60 publications in international, referees journals (ISI).

Three most significant papers:

M Pinnock, A S Rodger, J R Dudeney, K B Baker , P T Newell, R.A. Greenwald and M.E. Greenspan, 1993. Observations of an enhanced convection channel in the cusp ionosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, 3767-3776, 1993.

R A Greenwald, K B Baker, J R Dudeney, M Pinnock, T B Jones, E C Thomas E.C, J-P Villain, J-C Ceresier, C Senior, C Hanuise, R Hunsucker, G Sofko, J Koehler, E Nielsen,  R Pellinen, D Walker, N Sato and H Yamagishi, 1995.  DARN/SuperDARN: A global view of the dynamics of high latitude convection. Space Science Review, 71, 761-796, 1995.

Pinnock M, Chisham G, Coleman IJ, Freeman MP, Hairston M, Villain JP, The location and rate of dayside reconnection during an interval of southward interplanetary magnetic field, Annales Geophysicae,21 (7): 1467-1482, 2003

Recent Publications

Title: Imaging of the Antarctic ionosphere: Experimental results
Author(s): Yin, P; Mitchell, CN; Alfonsi, L, et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS   Volume: 71   Issue: 17-18   Pages: 1757-1765   Published: 2009

Chisham, G.;Freeman, M.P.;Abel, G.A.;Lam, M. M.;Pinnock, M.;Coleman, I. J.;Milan, S. E.;Lester, M.;Bristow, W. A.;Greenwald, R. A.;Sofko, G. J.;Villain, J.-P.;. 2008 Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere. Reviews of Geophysics.

Chisham, G.;Lester, M.;Milan, S.E.;Freeman, M.P.;Bristow, W.A.;Grocott, A.;McWilliams, K.A.;Ruohoniemi, J.M.;Yeoman, T.K.;Dyson, P.L.;Greenwald, R.A.;Kikuchi, T.;Pinnock, M.;Rash, J.P.S.;Sato, N.;Sofko, G.J.;Villain, J.-P.;Walker, A.D.M.;. 2007 A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions. Surveys in Geophysics.

Lam, M.M.;Pinnock, M.;Donovan, E.F.;. 2006 Observations of nightside magnetic reconnection during substorm growth and expansion phases. Journal of Geophysical Research.

Parkinson, M.L.;Pinnock, M.;Wild, J.A.;Lester, M.;Yeoman, T.K.;Milan, S.E.;Ye, H.;Devlin, J.C.;Frey, H.U.;Kikuchi, T.;. 2005 Interhemispheric asymmetries in the occurrence of magnetically conjugate sub-auroral polarisation streams. Annales Geophysicae.

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2019

Rodger, Alan S. Pinnock, Michael. Editors: Deehr, C.S. Holtet, J.A (2019) The variability and predictability of the main ionospheric trough.

Rodger, Alan S. Pinnock, Michael. (2019) Movements of the mid-latitude ionospheric trough.

Dudeney, J.R. Jarvis, Martin J. Kressman, R.I. Pinnock, Michael. Rodger, Alan S. Wright, K.H. (2019) Ionospheric troughs in Antarctica.

Pinnock, Michael. (2019) A daytime crossing of the auroral oval at Halley Bay.

Rodger, Alan S. Cowley, S.W.H. Brown, M.J. Pinnock, Michael. Simmons, D.A. (2019) Dawn-dusk (y) component of the interplanetary magnetic field and the local time of the harang discontinuity.

Pinnock, Michael. (2019) Observations of a day-time mid-latitude ionospheric trough.

Rodger, Alan S. Pinnock, Michael. (2019) The structure of slant Es.

2018

Dudeney, J. Pinnock, Michael. (2018) Pac(e)ing poles apart.

Baker, K.B. Greenwald, R.A. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Dudeney, J.R. Pinnock, Michael. Mattin, N. Leonard, J.M. (2018) Polar Anglo-American Conjugate Experiment.

Greenwald, R.A. Baker, K.B. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Dudeney, J.R. Pinnock, Michael. Mattin, N. Leonard, J.M. Lepping, R.P. (2018) Simultaneous conjugate observations of dynamic variations in high-latitude dayside convection due to changes in IMFBy.

Baker, K.B. Greenwald, R.A. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Dudeney, J.R. Pinnock, M. Newell, P. T. Greenspan, M.E. Meng, C.-I. (2018) Simultaneous HF-radar and DMSP observations of the cusp.

Pinnock, Michael. Rodger, Alan S. Dudeney, John .R. Greenwald, R.A. Baker, K.B. Ruohoniemi, J.M. (2018) An ionospheric signature of possible enhanced magnetic field merging on the dayside magnetopause.

Dudeney, J.R. Rodger, Alan S. Pinnock, Michael. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Baker, K.B. Greenwald, R.A. (2018) Studies of conjugate plasma convection in the vicinity of the Harang discontinuity.

Noor, Liesbeth H.W. van der Kroef, Dick A. Wattam, David. Pinnock, Michael. van Rossum, Ronald. Smit, Marck G.. Brussard, Corina P.D. (2018) Innovative transportable laboratories for Polar science.

Yeoman, T.K. Mattin, N. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Lester, M. Pinnock, Michael. (2018) An assessment of the L shell fitting beam-swinging technique for measuring ionosphericEregion irregularity drift patterns.

2017

Pinnock, Michael. Rodger, Alan S. Dudeney, J. R. Baker, K. B. Newell, P. T. Greenwald, R. A. Greenspan, M. E. (2017) Observations of an enhanced convection channel in the cusp ionosphere.

Morelli, J.P. Bunting, R.J. Cowley, S.W.H. Farrugia, C.J. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Friis-Christensen, E. Jones, G.O.L. Lester, M. Lewis, R.V. Luhr, H. Orr, D. Pinnock, M. Reeves, G.D. Williams, P.J.S. Yeoman, T.K. (2017) Plasma flow bursts in the nightside auroral zone ionosphere and their relation to geomagnetic activity.

Rodger, Alan. Pinnock, Michael. Dudeney, J. R. Waterman, J. de la Beaujardiere, O. Baker, K. B. (2017) Simultaneous two hemisphere observations of the presence of polar patches in the nightside ionosphere.

Rodger, Alan. Pinnock, Michael. Dudeney, J. R. Baker, K. B. Greenwald, R. A. (2017) A new mechanism for polar patch formation.

Rodger, Alan. Pinnock, Michael. Dudeney, John. (2017) Comments on “Production of polar cap electron density patches by transient magnetopause reconnections”.

Fox, N. J. Lockwood, M. Cowley, S. W. H. Freeman, M. P. ORCID record for Freeman, M. P.. Friis-Christensen, E. Milling, D. K. Pinnock, M. Reeves, G. D. (2017) EISCAT observations of unusual flows in the morning sector associated with weak substorm activity.

Pinnock, M. Rodger, A. S. Dudeney, J. R. Rich, F. Baker, K. B. (2017) High spatial and temporal resolution observations of the ionospheric cusp.

Pinnock, M. Rodger, A. S. Berkey, F. T. (2017) High-latitudeFregion electron concentration measurements near noon: A case study.

Morelli, J. P. Bunting, R. J. Cowley, S. W. H. Farrugia, C. J. Freeman, M. P. ORCID record for Freeman, M. P.. Friis-Christensen, E. Jones, G. O. L. Lester, M. Lewis, R. V. Lühr, H. Orr, D. Pinnock, M. Reeves, G. D. Williams, P. J. S. Yeoman, T. K. (2017) Radar observations of auroral zone flows during a multiple-onset substorm.

Leonard, J.M. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. Dudeney, J.R. Greenwald, R.A. Baker, K.B. (2017) Ionospheric plasma convection in the southern hemisphere.

2016

Greenwald, R. A. Baker, K. B. Dudeney, J. R. Pinnock, M. Jones, T. B. Thomas, E. C. Villain, J. -P. Cerisier, J. -C. Senior, C. Hanuise, C. Hunsucker, R. D. Sofko, G. Koehler, J. Nielsen, E. Pellinen, R. Walker, A. D. M. Sato, N. Yamagishi, H. (2016) DARN/SuperDARN.

Baker, K. B. Dudeney, J. R. Greenwald, R. A. Pinnock, M. Newell, P. T. Rodger, A. S. Mattin, N. Meng, C.-I. (2016) HF radar signatures of the cusp and low-latitude boundary layer.

Yeoman, T. K. Pinnock, M. (2016) The high latitude convection response to an interval of substorm activity.

Rodger, A.S. Pinnock, M. (2016) The ionospheric response to flux transfer events: the first few minutes.

2015

Daglis, loannis A. Jacobi, Christoph. Pinnock, Mike. Editors: Bloesch, Gunter. Thybo, Hans. Savenije, Hubert (2015) Living with a Star.

2014

Watanabe, Masakazu. Pinnock, Michael. Rodger, Alan S. Sato, Natsuo. Yamagishi, Hisao. Yukimatu, A. Sessai. Greenwald, Raymond A. Villain, Jean-Paul. Hairston, Marc R. (2014) Localized activation of the distant tail neutral line just prior to substorm onsets.

Walker, A. D. M. Pinnock, M. Baker, K. B. Dudeney, J. R. Rash, J. P. S. (2014) Strong flow bursts in the nightside ionosphere during extremely quiet solar wind conditions.

2013

Ogawa, Tadahiko. Nishitani, Nozomu. Pinnock, Michael. Sato, Natsuo. Yamagishi, Hisao. Yukimatu, A. Sessai. (2013) Polar cap patches and auroral blobs observed with Antarctic HF radars: Preliminary results.

Ogawa, T. Nishitani, N. Pinnock, M. Sato, N. Yamagishi, H. Yukimatu, A. S. (2013) Antarctic HF radar observations of irregularities associated with polar patches and auroral blobs: A case study.

Lester, M. Thomas, E.C. Pinnock, M. Senior, C. Owen, C.J. (2013) CUTLASS observations of convection in the cusp region.

Sato, Mitsuteru. Fukunishi, Hiroshi. Kataoka, Ryuho. Shono, Atsushi. Lanzerotti, Louis J. Doolittle, Jack H. Mende, Steve B. Pinnock, Mike. (2013) Dayside auroral dynamics observed by the AGO network in Antarctica.

Rash, J. P. S. Rodger, A. S. Pinnock, M. (2013) HF radar observations of the high-latitude ionospheric convection pattern in the morning sector for northward IMF and motion of the convection reversal boundary.

Pinnock, M. Rodger, A. S. Baker, K. B. Lu, G. Hairston, M. (2013) Conjugate observations of the day-side reconnection electric field: A GEM boundary layer campaign.

Nishitani, Nozomu. Ogawa, Tadahiko. Pinnock, Mike. Freeman, Mervyn P. ORCID record for Freeman, Mervyn P.. Dudeney, John R. Villain, Jean-Paul. Baker, Kile B. Sato, Natsuo. Yamagishi, Hisao. Matsumoto, Haruhisa. (2013) A very large scale flow burst observed by the SuperDARN radars.

Fox, N. J. Cowley, S. W. H. Davda, V. N. Enno, G. Friis-Christensen, E. Greenwald, R. A. Hairston, M. R. Lester, M. Lockwood, M. Lühr, H. Milling, D. K. Murphree, J. S. Pinnock, M. Reeves, G. D. (2013) A multipoint study of a substorm occurring on 7 December, 1992, and its theoretical implications.

André, R. Pinnock, M. Rodger, Alan S. (2013) On the SuperDARN autocorrelation function observed in the ionospheric cusp.

Watanabe, Masakazu. Sato, Natsuo. Greenwald, Raymond A. Pinnock, Michael. Hairston, Marc R. Rairden, Richard L. McEwen, Don J. (2013) The ionospheric response to interplanetary magnetic field variations: Evidence for rapid global change and the role of preconditioning in the magnetosphere.

Rodger, Alan S. Coleman, Iain J. Pinnock, Mike. (2013) Some comments on transient and steady-state reconnection at the dayside magnetopause.

2012

Kikuchi, T. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A. Luehr, H. Kitamura, T. Tachihara, H. Watanabe, M. Sato, N. Ruohoniemi, M. (2012) Global evolution of a substorm-associated DP2 current system observed by superDARN and magnetometers.

Coleman, I.J. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) The ionospheric footprint of antiparallel merging regions on the dayside magnetopause.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. Villain, J.-P. (2012) High-time resolution conjugate SuperDARN radar observations of the dayside convection response to changes in IMF By.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) Poleward‐moving HF radar flow bursts in the cusp: Transient changes in flow speed or direction?.

André, R. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) Identification of the low-altitude cusp by Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radars: A physical explanation for the empirically derived signature.

Thorolfsson, A. Cerisier, J.-C. Pinnock, M. (2012) Flow transients in the postnoon ionosphere: The role of solar wind dynamic pressure.

Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) On determining the noon polar cap boundary from SuperDARN HF radar backscatter characteristics.

Coleman, Iain J. Chisham, Gareth ORCID record for Chisham, Gareth. Pinnock, Mike. Freeman, Mervyn P. ORCID record for Freeman, Mervyn P.. (2012) An ionospheric convection signature of antiparallel reconnection.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) The response of the HF radar spectral width boundary to a switch in the IMF By direction: ionospheric consequences of transient dayside reconnection?.

Walker, A.D.M. Baker, K.B. Pinnock, M. Dudeney, J.R. Rash, J.P.S. (2012) Radar observations of magnetospheric activity during extremely quiet solar wind conditions.

Villain, J.-P. André, R. Pinnock, M. Greenwald, R.A. Hanuise, C. (2012) A statistical study of the Doppler spectral width of high-latitude ionospheric F-region echoes recorded with SuperDARN coherent HF radars.

Parkinson, M.L. Dyson, P.L. Pinnock, M. Devlin, J.C. Hairston, M.R. Yizengaw, E. Wilkinson, P.J. (2012) Signatures of the midnight open-closed magnetic field line boundary during balanced dayside and nightsife reconnection.

Nishitani, Nozomu. Ogawa, Tadahiko. Sato, Natsuo. Yamagishi, Hisao. Pinnock, Mike. Villain, Jean-Paul. Sofko, George. Troshichev, Oleg. (2012) A study of the dusk convection cell’s response to an IMF southward turning.

Munsami, V. Pinnock, M. Rodger, A.S. (2012) HF radar observation of field-aligned currents associated with quiet time transient flow bursts in the magnetosphere.

Pinnock, M. Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Coleman, I.J. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Hairston, M. Villain, J.-P. (2012) The location and rate of dayside reconnection during an interval of southward interplanetary magnetic field.

Parkinson, M.L. Pinnock, M. Ye, H. Hairston, M.R. Devlin, J.C. Dyson, P.L. Morris, R.J. Ponomarenko, P. (2012) On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm.

Coleman, Iain J. Chisham, Gareth ORCID record for Chisham, Gareth. Pinnock, Michael. Freeman, Mervyn P. ORCID record for Freeman, Mervyn P.. (2012) Reply to comment by S.M. Petrinec and S.A. Fuselier on ‘An ionospheric convection signature of antiparallel reconnection’.

Rodger, A.S. Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Coleman, I.J. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Pinnock, M. Editors: Newell, P.T. Onsager, T (2012) Anti-parallel reconnection at the dayside magnetopause: ionospheric signatures and implications for the low latitude boundary layer.

Parkinson, M.L. Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Pinnock, M. Dyson, P.L. Devlin, J.C. (2012) Magnetic local time, substorm, and particle precipitation-related variations in the behaviour of SuperDARN Doppler spectral widths.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Coleman, I.J. Pinnock, M. Hairston, M.R. Lester, M. Sofko, G. (2012) Measuring the dayside reconnection rate during an interval of due northward interplanetary magnetic field.

2011

Kadokura, Akira. Yukimatu, Akira-Sessai. Ejiri, Masaki. Oguti, Takasi. Pinnock, Michael. Sutcliffe, Peter R. (2011) Detailed analysis of a substorm event on 6 and 7 June 1989. 2. Stepwise auroral bulge evolution during expansion phase.

Kadokura, Akira. Yukimatu, Akira-Sessai. Ejiri, Masaki. Oguti, Takasi. Pinnock, Michael. Hairston, Marc R. (2011) Detailed analysis of a substorm event on 6 and 7 June 1989. 1. Growth phase evolution of nightside auroral activities and ionospheric convection toward expansion phase onset.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Pinnock, M. Coleman, I.J. Hairston, M.R. Walker, A.D.M. (2011) An unusual geometry of the ionospheric signature of the cusp: implications for magnetopause merging sites.

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Coleman, I.J. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Pinnock, M. Lester, M. (2011) Ionospheric signatures of split reconnection X-lines during conditions of IMF Bz < 0 and |By| ∼ |Bz|: Evidence for the antiparallel merging hypothesis.

Pinnock, M. Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. (2011) Assessing the contamination of SuperDARN global convection maps by non-F-region backscatter.

André, R. Pinnock, Michael. Villain, J.-P. Hanuise, C. (2011) Influence of magnetospheric processes on winter HF radar spectra characteristics.

2010

Yin, Ping. Mitchell, Cathryn N. Alfonsi, Lucilla. Pinnock, Mike. Spencer, Paul. De Franceschi, Giorgiana. Romano, Vincenzo. Newell, Patrick. Sarti, Pierguido. Negusini, Monia. Capra, Alessandro. (2010) Imaging of the Antarctic ionosphere: Experimental results.

2008

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Abel, G.A. Lam, M. M. ORCID record for Lam, M. M.. Pinnock, M. Coleman, I. J. Milan, S. E. Lester, M. Bristow, W. A. Greenwald, R. A. Sofko, G. J. Villain, J.-P. (2008) Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere.

Parkinson, M.L. Pinnock, M. Dyson, P.L. Devlin, J.C. (2008) Signatures of the nightside open–closed magnetic field-line boundary during moderately disturbed conditions and ionospheric substorms.

Parkinson, M.L. Pinnock, M. Wild, J.A. Lester, M. Yeoman, T.K. Milan, S.E. Ye, H. Devlin, J.C. Frey, H.U. Kikuchi, T. (2008) Interhemispheric asymmetries in the occurrence of magnetically conjugate sub-auroral polarisation streams.

2007

Chisham, G. ORCID record for Chisham, G.. Lester, M. Milan, S.E. Freeman, M.P. ORCID record for Freeman, M.P.. Bristow, W.A. Grocott, A. McWilliams, K.A. Ruohoniemi, J.M. Yeoman, T.K. Dyson, P.L. Greenwald, R.A. Kikuchi, T. Pinnock, M. Rash, J.P.S. Sato, N. Sofko, G.J. Villain, J.-P. Walker, A.D.M. (2007) A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions.

Parkinson, M.L. Dyson, P.L. Pinnock, M. (2007) On the occurrence of auroral westward flow channels and substorm phase.

Lam, M.M. ORCID record for Lam, M.M.. Pinnock, M. Donovan, E.F. (2007) Observations of nightside magnetic reconnection during substorm growth and expansion phases.

1. NEWS STORY: 2nd award for BAS manager

   Long serving BAS manager awarded second honour Mike Pinnock, one of the British Antarctic Survey’s longest serving managers, has been awarded a Second Clasp by HM The Queen. The Second […]

   Read more of: NEWS STORY: 2nd award for BAS manager