My research career to date has spanned both the industry and academic sectors.  After gaining my BSc in Geophysics (minor in Physics) from the University of Liverpool in 2007, I worked for 2 years for GETECH in Leeds.  My work at GETECH comprised 6 months’ processing shiptrack gravity/magnetic data, and 1.5 years of working in a small R&D team to determine global Curie depth estimates from aeromagnetic data.  I left GETECH in 2009 to start my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where I focused on methods for separating external magnetic fields from internal fields in magnetic data, with a specific emphasis on constellation satellite missions.  I started my postdoctoral research at BAS in 2013.

Research interests

Summary of research interests:
– Geomagnetism
– Ionospheric electric fields
– Effect of magnetic fields external to the Earth’s surface on measurements of the field internal to the Earth.

Summary of practical aspects of my research:
– Geophysical data analysis and interpretation.
– Independent and team-led scientific research.
– Mathematical model development.
– Communication of science via publications, conferences and outreach activities.

Brief summary of NERC grant: NE/J020796/1, detailing my research at BAS to date:
My research at BAS, under the supervision of Mervyn Freeman, began with the aim of creating of the world’s first reanalysis model of the external components of Earth’s magnetic field over an 11-year solar cycle.  To achieve this, we applied the method of Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to SuperMAG data (an archive of magnetic field measurements at 1 min resolution from 1980 to present from around 300 magnetometers scattered around the globe).  The method has been successful, answering the original research questions.  We have decomposed the measured magnetic signal into a hierarchy of temporally-varying spatial patterns, recognisable as the different component circuits of the ionospheric and magnetospheric electrical currents.  With this approach, the dominant magnetic field components are resolved at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.  The findings of this study offer answers to long-standing open questions in a broad range of electromagnetic and upper atmospheric research fields.

Collaborations

NERC grant NE/J020796/1 is being delivered jointly by researchers at BAS and Lancaster University.

I am presently contributing to the proceedings of the ISSI workshop ‘Earth’s Magnetic Field: Understanding Sources from the Earth’s Interior and its Environment’.

Shore, R. M., Whaler, K. A., Macmillan, S., Beggan, C., Olsen, N., Spain, T., & Aruliah, A. (2013). Ionospheric midlatitude electric current density inferred from multiple magnetic satellites. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 118(9), 5813-5829.

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

• Lam, M., Shore, R., Chisham, G., & Freeman, M. (2023). Forecast regression model of the northern Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) high-latitude ionospheric plasma motion built from data interval 1997-2008 inclusive (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/22272b8e-1aa3-483b-9867-224fe02db4e8

• Shore, R., Freeman, M., Chisham, G., Lam, M., & Breen, P. (2022). Dominant spatial and temporal patterns of horizontal ionospheric plasma velocity variation covering the northern polar region, from 1997.0 to 2009.0 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2b9f0e9f-34ec-4467-9e02-abc771070cd9

• Shore, R., Freeman, M., & Chisham, G. (2021). Dominant spatial and temporal patterns of horizontal ionospheric plasma velocity variation covering the northern polar region, for the month of February 2001 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/f4245a21-dee9-46cf-85b2-114798cb7ebc

• Shore, R., & Freeman, M. (2020). Dominant spatial and temporal patterns of horizontal ionospheric plasma velocity variation covering the northern polar region, for the period 1997.0 to 2009.0 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/8db4c41b-e549-45dd-bc85-386e6e0e6e07

• Freeman, M., Gjerloev, J., & Shore, R. (2018). An empirical orthogonal function reanalysis of the northern polar external and induced magnetic field during solar cycle 23 – VERSION 1.0 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01102

• Shore, R., Freeman, M., & Gjerloev, J. (2017). An empirical orthogonal function reanalysis of the northern polar external and induced magnetic field during solar cycle 23 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/00935

1. Atmospheric warming impacts on satellite debris

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

   Read more of: Atmospheric warming impacts on satellite debris

   

2. Thermospheric Heating Modes and Effects on Satellites (THeMES)

   Using meteorological statistical techniques, THeMES aimed to improve satellite trajectory predictions and identify which orbital paths face the greatest risk from space weather disturbances.

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3. 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

   

4. A High-Order Model of the Earth’s External and Induced Magnetic Field

   For centuries people have used magnetic compasses to guide them on their way and explore new territories. This has led scientists to embark on their own journeys of discovery about […]

   Read more of: A High-Order Model of the Earth’s External and Induced Magnetic Field

   

5. Space weather risk modelling

   SWIMMR-T generated accurate and actionable nowcasts and forecasts of the thermosphere to reduced uncertainty estimates of the orbital characteristics of satellites and debris.

   Read more of: Space weather risk modelling