USGS Space Weather-related Observations, Activities, and Achievements

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geomagnetism Program represents the Department of the Interior in the Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation (SWORM) subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council. The USGS role within the space weather enterprise is to help characterize the on-the-ground impacts of space weather events.

The Program monitors the Earth’s magnetic field in real time through a network of ground-based magnetometers, and it supports surveys of the electromagnetic properties of the Earth’s surface. Program scientists conduct research on historical magnetic storms, solid-Earth electrical conductivity structure, and characterize storm-induced geoelectric hazards that can interfere with the transmission of electric power.

Here, we will discuss USGS activities related to space weather, and recent achievements that include the expansion of magnetic observatory operations via the installation of variometer stations across the United States and elsewhere; the completion of a national-scale long-period magnetotelluric survey; and research into the geoelectric structure of the nation, highlighting the high hazard in the Eastern US. To support more detailed evaluation, the Program is initiating a geographically dense broad-band survey of parts of the densely populated northeast.

The Geomagnetism Program’s operations and research are improving the space-weather readiness of the United States.