Inner-Magnetospheric Array for Geospace Science: iMAGS

The Inner-Magnetospheric Array for Geospace Science (iMAGS) is the chain of magnetometer arrays that merged the three individual arrays (AMBER, SAMBA and MEASURE) and created common data processing and storage system. Recently, in order to get complete understanding of solarwind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling phenomenon and its impact at the geomagnetic equator, iMAGS team proposed to expand the chain to higher-latitudes. Detections of magnetic field perturbations using such latitudinal and longitudinal chain of ground-based magnetometers provide valuable information about different space weather topics, such as about electric currents and waves in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, equatorial ionospheric electrodynamics, subsurface electrical conductivity, bursts of damaging GIC onto the power grids, and possibly signals prior to and during major earthquakes. Therefore, the expansion of iMAGS array not only provides good opportunity to monitor the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling phenomena and its impact on the ground on a regular bases but also serve as an exemplary path forward towards the effort of creating the Distributed Array of Small Instrumentation (DASI) concept that enhances observational capabilities for space weather and other disciplinary enterprises. In this paper, we will address the important space weather related sciences that can be addressed with iMAGS ground-based observations, augmented with observations by instruments on board discovery missions (e.g., ACE, WIND, THEMIS, MMS, etc). The importance of iMAGS chain for the advancement of cross-disciplinary knowledge of ground magnetic perturbations will be discussed, because understanding ground magnetic perturbations for different purposes is more critical to properly predict or forecast the natural hazards on the ground that may be associated with different conditions of geospace phenomenon.