EISCAT Science Support
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) EISCAT, the …
Geomagnetic storms (space weather) are rapidly becoming one of the biggest potential threats to modern society. They can cause serious damage to power grids, communications satellites and other vital infrastructure.
Severe space weather is one of the highest priority natural hazards in the UK National Risk Register and is recognised as having potential significant impact on the UK’s critical national infrastructure.
In response to the Government adding solar storms to the National Risk Register (NRR) of Civil Emergencies in 2011, the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC) was created to provide a UK operational space weather prediction centre to help protect the country from the serious threats posed by space weather events.
British Antarctic Survey works with the Met Office as well as a range of UK partners including Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), British Geological Survey (BGS), University of Bath, RAL Space, and several other universities contribute data, knowledge and models to support Met Office operational forecasting.
SPACECAST is a Collaborative Project funded by the European Union Framework 7 programme to help protect satellites on orbit by modelling and forecasting particle radiation. British Antarctic Survey plays a leading role in SPACECAST providing expert advice and resources to support satellite operators, designers and insurers.
Geomagnetic storms (space weather) are rapidly becoming one of the biggest potential threats to modern society. They can cause serious damage to power grids, communications satellites and other vital infrastructure. The potential ongoing costs from a single serious event have been estimated at up to £1·3 trillion a year. Regular short and long-term forecasts of space weather and solar activity help to protect the infrastructure, scientific and commercial satellites.
An industry briefing note on Space weather produced by Lloyds explains the value of space weather resesearch to business.
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) EISCAT, the …
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 …
Radiation belts of very high energy electrons and protons can form around some planets – at the Earth these large donut shaped regions in space are often called the Van …
QEPPA is a joint project between the British Antarctic Survey and the Space physics group at Lancaster University. The objective of QEPPA is to work out the amount of charged …
SPACESTORM is a collaborative project to model space weather events and find ways to mitigate their effects on satellites. Over the last ten years the number of satellites on orbit …
STFC funded research grant
Space debris is emerging as a key problem for humanity with the potential to cause major socio-economic impacts. It is currently estimated that there are over 900,000 pieces of debris …
DRIIVE will use the new EISCAT_3D radar to understand multi-scale coupling in the Ionopshere and how it is influenced both by space weather and the lower atmosphere. The impact of …
18 October, 2023
The shortlist has been announced for The Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) Impact Awards 2023. Four BAS projects have made the shortlist and commended list, ranging from biodiversity and ecology …
15 June, 2023
Extreme space weather threatens vital satellites orbiting the Earth, including the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt. New research led by …
24 February, 2023
A new album inspired by the sounds of radio waves produced by a geomagnetic storm has been released. St Swithin’s Day Storm is a collaboration with Steven Anderson, known as …
2 December, 2022
A new album transporting listeners on a journey to the Sun and inspired by ‘sounds’ captured in space and on the ground shows the magic created when science and the …
18 October, 2022
Satellites face greater chances of collision with space debris as a result of reduced density in the upper atmosphere. Increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere will result in …
14 January, 2022
The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded the 2022 Gold Medal for Geophysics to Professor Richard B Horne for his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the physics underlying space weather. …
3 December, 2021
A rare total solar eclipse in Antarctica this weekend (Saturday 4 December) is giving researchers a unique opportunity to learn more about how solar eclipses affect space weather. The next …
12 July, 2021
The 40-year-old mystery of what causes Jupiter’s X-ray auroras has been solved. For the first time, scientists have seen the entire mechanism at work – and it could be a …
21 June, 2021
Celestial Incantations – New album release from Sounds of Space Project New album Celestial Incantations is released today by the international Sounds of Space Project, comprising of Dr Nigel Meredith …
6 May, 2021
We are delighted to announce that today (6 May 2021) Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey, and Professor Richard Horne, Head of Space Weather and Atmosphere team, …