Translated to English from paper in Japanese, originally published in: Technical Report of the Kakioka
Magnetic Observatory, Vol.1, No.2, 11-23, 2003 with permission of the authors.

Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of
the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
byIssei SUGANUMA
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
Received 20 August 2003; received in revised form 28 October 2003; accepted 29 October 2003

Abstract
The Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, which is the annual report on geomagnetic andgeoelectric observations conducted by the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, Japan Meteorological
Agency, was re-issued on CD-ROM media starting from issue 2001. The CD-ROM version, in
addition to the contents of the former printed publication, also contains the following contents: (1)1-minute values of the geomagnetic, geoelectric and atmospheric electric fields, (2) observation
remarks, and (3) Data Viewer, a software application to visualize the recorded data in order to make iteasier to use them.
In this paper, we describe the aforementioned contents of the CD-ROM and the basic functions of
Data Viewer. Our new data format used in the CD-ROM is briefly shown as well.

1. Introduction
The Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory(hereafter called "annual report") describes the resultsof geomagnetic and geoelectric observations
conducted at the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory of theJapan Meteorological Agency. It was issued as abound volume every year during the period from 1924
to 2000. In 2001, Ishii studied the viability of
converting the annual report into digital form withconsideration of the trends in the ongoing
computerization and information technology, statedthat it was important to make the observational data
available as electronic data, and proposed that theannual report should be issued as a CD-ROM. He
also pointed out that this electronic observational data
should be attached with a software program that allows
the user to retrieve and view data easily and efficiently.
Given this background, it was decided that the annual
report be issued as a CD-ROM, starting with the 2001
issue, and that a data-viewing software program be

developed and included in the CD-ROM. Before weconvert the observational data to digital form to be
written on the CD-ROM, we reviewed the data format
being used at the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory.
This document describes the contents of the annual
report written on the CD-ROM, the changes made in
the contents of the annual report as the CD-ROM wasintroduced, and the functions of the data-viewing
software program.
2. Contents of the Annual Report on the CD-ROM
The annual report describes the results ofgeomagnetic and geoelectric observations conductedduring the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 every year.
Table 1 shows a comparison between the contents of
the annual report issued as a bound volume and thoseof the annual report issued as a CD-ROM. (See theappendix for information on the directory structure of
the CD-ROM, as well as the homepage of the Kakioka
Magnetic Observatory, http://www.kakioka-jma.go.jp,

Issei SUGANUMA

2

for information on the program used to write data on
the CD-ROM.) The annual report issued as a boundvolume contains the data on hourly values ofgeomagnetic,
earth-current,andatmospheric-electricity measurements, the table of annual means,
the K-index table, the table of magnetic rapid
variations (for magnetic storms and other phenomena),
and the dynamic spectra for magnetic pulsations. In
addition to all these contents in the annual reportissued as a bound volume, the CD-ROM contains thedata on 1-minute values and detailed information oneach observation. The annual report issued as abound volume contains the time-series diagram
Table 1

showing the three components of geomagnetic vectors
and the total geomagnetic force measured at Kakioka
during a one-year period, as well as the time-series
diagram showing geomagnetic-field data collected
when magnetic storms occurred.
In the annual report issued as a CD-ROM, thesetime-series diagrams are stored as electronic data, notas image files, so that the user is able to retrieve anddisplaygeomagnetic,
earth-current
andatmospheric-electricity data on the screen of apersonal computer with the data-viewing software
bundled in the CD-ROM.

Contents of the annual report on the CD‑ROM

In addition to the contents of the data in the annual report issued as a bound volume, the CD-ROM version contains
1-minute-value data, detailed information on each observation, and the data-viewing software.
Category
Generalinformation in theannual report

Data item
Introduction

1-minute value

Hourly value
Observed value
Monthly mean

Annual value

Geomagnetism
Earth current
Atmospheric electricity
Geomagnetism
Earth current
Atmospheric electricity
Geomagnetism
Earth current
Atmospheric electricity
Geomagnetism
Earth current
Atmospheric electricity

K-index table

Table

FigureSoftw are

Other information

Magnetic storm
Earth-current storm
bay
Table of rapid magnetic
sfe
variationssipipcSummary plot of annual means of geomagnetic values
Summary plot of magnetic storms
Dynamic spectra of magnetic pulsations
Summary plot of hourly means of atmospheric electricity
Data view ing softw are
Geomagnetism
Detailed information on
Earth current
observation conditions
Atmospheric electricity
Hourly value
Information on missing
1-minute valuemagnetic data
1-second value
0.1-second value
ErrataExplanations about the data format

Report as a boundvolumeReport as a CD-ROM

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Notes
*1: Only for Chichijima Island*2: Applicable to observatories at Kakioka, Memanbetsu, and Kanoya, excluding the one in Chichijima Island

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Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory

For the CD-ROM version, the HTML format was
adopted because it allows the user to browse datairrespective of the operating system used, Windows,
UNIX, etc. To view data in the CD-ROM, click on
index.html, shown in the CD-ROM folder (see Figure

Figure 11). You will find that index.html contains nine items:"Introduction," "Data," "Format," "Data Viewer," "Tables& Figures," "Data Missing," "Errata," "Directory," and"Notice." By selecting and double-clicking on each ofthese items, you can view data contained in each item.
(See Table 2.)

Menu page (index.html) in the CD‑ROM version of the annual report

index.html is at the top of the hierarchy of data contained in the CD-ROM.
Use the Internet browser to access index.html, and then select one from the options shown on the menu page.
Table 2

Menu
Introduction
Data
FormatData Viewer
Tables & Figures
Data Missing
ErrataDirectory
Notice3

Contents of the CD‑ROM version of the annual report

Contents
General information on the annual report
Observational data
Information on the formats of each item of observational data
Data viewing software
User's manual
Tables and figures that appear in the annual reports issued as bound volumes
Information on missing geomagnetic data
Information on the corrections or revisions made in the annual reports issued in the
past
Directory structure of the CD-ROM
Points to note before starting to use the CD-ROM

4

Issei SUGANUMA

3. Data Format
The data format used at the Kakioka Magnetic
Observatory is an originally developed data format.
In various types of data being handled at theObservatory, 1-minute-value data was in binary form.
Before we wrote 1-minute-value data and hourly-value
data on the CD-ROM as digital data, we examined theappropriateness of using the existing data format or
introducing a new data format in order to make the
CD-ROM easy to use. We decided to introduce anextended format (IAGA-2002x, extended IAGA2002
format), specifically the IAGA2002 format that may be
more popular has a column in which the QA/QC(Quality Assurance/Quality Control) flags are to be
added. Figure 2 shows examples of geomagnetic,
earth-current and atmospheric-electricity data. Fourletters for each component were assigned to the
QA/QC flag, and this flag was added to the column
established right after the Observational data. For
geomagnetic field data that have four components, D,
H, Z and F, a space for 16 letters was assigned. For
geoelectric field data that have two components, X andY, a space for eight letters was assigned. For
atmospheric-electric field data that have one
component, Z, a space for four letters was assigned.
In the annual report for 2001, however, the QA/QC
flags were not used yet, and therefore the column wasleft blank. Furthermore, because the names of files
in the IAGA2002 format do not show specificobservation categories, the IAGA-2002x format wasestablished by placing an observation category code(geomagnetic field: _m, geoelectric field: _e, andatmospheric electric field: _p) at a position right before
the period in the IAGA2002 format. Therefore, thefile name given to hourly geomagnetic data collected in
January 2001 at the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
was designated as kak200101d_m.hor.
4. Data Viewing Software
The data-viewing software prototype wasdeveloped by the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory in
2000. Based on the results of surveys that we
conducted on people concerned to collect theirrequests and opinions about the CD-ROM version of
the annual report, we improved the software,
conducted revision of the model and systematic error
checks, and completed it as a data-viewing program to
be included in the CD-ROM.

Microsoft Visual Basic was used to develop thesoftware (source codes are shown on our homepage at
http://www.kakioka-jma.go.jp).
To
use
this
data-viewing program, a personal computer running
Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 or XP and a monitor with
1024 x 768 pixels or higher resolution are required(Figure 3). This software program allows the user todisplay summary plots of hourly values measured at
one observation point in one month, summary plots ofhourly values measured at four observation points in
one season, summary plots of 1-minute values
measured at one observation point in one day, data on
hourly values measured at one observation point in
one day, K indexes, and the list of magnetic storms.
All these data displayed on the screen of a monitor canbe saved as image files (Figure 4a-e). It also allows
the user to specify observation points, components
and a period, to extract geomagnetic data based on
specified observation points, components and a period,
and to save extracted data in CSV format. Data saved
this way can be used in Microsoft Excel and othersoftware programs (Figure 4f).
5. Various Tables and Figures
Tables and figures can be viewed by clicking on"Tables & Figures" in the menu page or the "Tables &Figures" button provided in the data-viewing program.
Tables and figures can be browsed using the Internet
browser. The formats and contents of tables are thesame as those in the annual report issued as a boundvolume. Figure 5 shows examples of tables andfigures that you can retrieve and display on yourmonitor.
On the "Table & Figures" page, you find
"GEOMAGNETISM,""GEOELECTRICITY,""MAGNETIC PULSATION," and "DATA VIEWER" atthe top of the page.
By clicking on"GEOMAGNETISM," "GEOELECTRICITY," and"MAGNETIC PULSATION," you can display tables
and figures related to geomagnetism, geoelectric data,and geomagnetic pulsations, respectively. By clicking
on "DATA VIEWER," you can start the data-viewing
software program. A table or figure that you selectfrom the menu is shown in the window at lower right.
Table 3 shows all data items that you can select anddisplay.

Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory(a)Geomagnetic field data

FormatIAGA‑2002x (Extended IAGA2002 Format)
Source of Data
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA
Station Name
Kakioka
IAGA CODE
KAK
Geodetic Latitude
36.232
Geodetic Longitude
140.186
Elevation
36.0
Reported
DHZF
Sensor Orientation
absolute:DIF, variation:XYZF
Digital Sampling
1 second
Data Interval Type
Filtered 1‑minute (00:30 ‑ 01:29)
Data TypeDefinitive# Element
Geomagnetic field# UnitD(eastward+):minute, H:nT, Z(downward+):nT, F:nT
# Issued by
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA# URL
http://www.kakioka‑jma.go.jp/index.html# Last Modified
Feb 14 2003
DATE
TIME
DOY
KAKD
KAKH
KAKZ
KAKF
2001‑01‑01 00:00:00.000 001‑420.78 30007.00 35369.60 46383.50
2001‑01‑01 00:01:00.000 001‑420.77 30006.80 35369.50 46383.30
2001‑01‑01 00:02:00.000 001‑420.77 30006.70 35369.40 46383.10
2001‑01‑01 00:03:00.000 001‑420.77 30006.50 35369.30 46382.90
2001‑01‑01 00:04:00.000 001‑420.76 30006.40 35369.10 46382.70←(b)Geoelectric field

FormatIAGA‑2002x (Extended IAGA2002 Format)
Source of Data
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA
Station Name
Kakioka
IAGA CODE
KAK
Geodetic Latitude
36.232
Geodetic Longitude
140.186
Elevation
36.0
Reported
XY
Sensor Orientation
XY
Digital Sampling
1 second
Data Interval Type
Filtered 1‑minute (00:30 ‑ 01:29)
Data TypeDefinitive# Element
Geoelectric field# UnitX(northward+):mV/km, Y(eastward+):mV/km# Issued by
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA# URL
http://www.kakioka‑jma.go.jp/index.html# Last Modified
Feb 14 2003
DATE
TIME
DOY
KAKX
KAKY
￨
2001‑01‑01 00:00:00.000 001‑125.60
357.902001‑01‑01 00:01:00.000 001‑124.80358.202001‑01‑01 00:02:00.000 001‑125.30
357.702001‑01‑01 00:03:00.000 001‑125.00
358.302001‑01‑01 00:04:00.000 001‑124.90357.70←8 digits→(2 components × 4 digits)(c)Atmospheric-electric field data

￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨

16 digits →(4 components × 4 digits)
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
￨
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￨

FormatIAGA‑2002x (Extended IAGA2002 Format)￨
Source of Data
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA￨
Station Name
Memambetsu￨
IAGA CODE
MMB￨
Geodetic Latitude
43.910￨
Geodetic Longitude
144.189￨
Elevation
42.0￨
ReportedZ￨
Sensor Orientation
Z￨
Digital Sampling
1 second￨
Data Interval Type
Filtered 1‑minute (00:30 ‑ 01:29)￨
Data TypeDefinitive￨# Element
Atmospheric electric field￨# UnitZ(upward+):V/m￨# Issued by
Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, JMA￨# URL
http://www.kakioka‑jma.go.jp/index.html￨# Last Modified
Feb 14 2003
￨
DATE
TIME
DOY
MMBZ
￨
2001‑01‑01 00:00:00.000 001
55.30
2001‑01‑01 00:01:00.000 001
59.70
2001‑01‑01 00:02:00.000 001
58.50
2001‑01‑01 00:03:00.000 001
63.60
2001‑01‑01 00:04:00.000 001
62.00←→4 digits(1 component × 4 digits)
Figure 2 Examples of observational data:(a) geomagnetic field, (b) geoelectric field, and (c) atmospheric electric field5

Issei SUGANUMA

6

Figure 3

Example of how the data‑viewing software (Data Viewer) is used

Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
(a)

(b)

Summary plot of hourly values (measured at one observation point in one month)

Summary plot of hourly values (measured at four observation points in one season)

7

Issei SUGANUMA

8
(c)

(d)

Hourly values and K indexes

Summary plot of 1‑minute values (measured at one observation point in one day)(e) List of magnetic storms(f) Extracting data and saving data in CSV format

Figure 4

Functions of the data‑viewing software

Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory(a) Table of hourly geomagnetic data(b) List of magnetic storms

9Issei SUGANUMA

10(c) Dynamic spectra for magnetic pulsations

Figure 5

Example of how "Tables & Figures" are shownIntroduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
Table 3

Contents of "Tables & Figures"

GEOMAGNETISM
Results of Geomagnetic Observations･････Table of hourly geomagnetic values
Declination･････････････････････････Hourly declination values
Horizontal Intensity････････････････Table of hourly horizontal‑component values
Vertical Intensity･･････････････････Table of hourly vertical‑component values
Total Force･････････････････････････Table of hourly total geomagnetic force
Inclination･････････････････････････Table of hourly inclination values
North Component･････････････････････Table of hourly north‑ and south‑component values
West Component･･････････････････････Table of hourly east‑ and west‑component values
Summary of Annual Mean･･････････････Table of annual means
Three‑Hour‑Range Indices, K･････････K‑index table
Summary Plot of Annual Mean･････････････Summary plot of geomagnetic secular variations
Declination･････････････････････････Summary plot of declination secular variations
Horizontal Intensity････････････････Summary plot of horizontal‑component secular variations
Vertical Intensity･･････････････････Summary plot of vertical‑component secular variations
Total Force･････････････････････････Summary plot of secular variations of geomagnetic force
Magnetic Rapid Variations･･･････････････List of magnetic rapid variations
Magnetic Storms･････････････････････List of magnetic storms
Magnetic Sudden Impulses (si)･･･････List of sudden impulses (si)Magnetic Bays (b, bp, bs, bps)･･････List of bays
Magnetic Solar Flare Effects (sfe)･･List of solar flare effects (sfe)

GEOELECTRICITY
Summary Results of Earth‑Current･･････････････ Table of hourly earth‑current values
Potential Gradient
EW Component ･･････････････････････････････ Table of hourly east‑ and west‑component values
NS Component･･････････････････････････････ Table of hourly north‑ and south‑component values
Summary Results of Atmospheric Electric･･･････ Table of hourly atmospheric‑electricity values
Potential Gradient
Mean Diurnal Variations of Quiet Days･････ Table of daily means of diurnal variations on quiet
days

MAGNETIC PULSATIONS
Dynamic Spectra for Magnetic Pulsations･･････････ Dynamic spectra obtained by analyzing magnetic
pulsations
Dynamic Spectra for pi and pc Pulsation Events･･･ Dynamic spectra obtained by analyzing pi and pc
pulsation events
pi･･･････････････････････････････････････････ Spectra obtained by analyzing pi pulsation
eventspc･･･････････････････････････････････････････ Spectra obtained by analyzing pc pulsation
eventsList of Magnetic Pulsations･･････････････････････ List of magnetic pulsations that occurred
Irregular Pulsations (pi)････････････････････ List of irregular pulsations (pi)Continuous Pulsations (pc)･･･････････････････ List of continuous pulsations (pc)
Data Viewer ･････････････････････････････････････ To start the data‑viewing software

11

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Issei SUGANUMA

6. Summary
The Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory,
which describes the results of geomagnetic andgeoelectric observations conducted at the Kakioka
Magnetic Observatory, was issued as a bound volume.
It is now issued as a CD-ROM, starting with the 2001
issue. With this change in the medium for the annual
report, the data format was reviewed and the extended
IAGA2002 format was introduced. Furthermore, toincrease the user convenience by providing a function
for presenting data as visual information, thedata-viewing software program was developed andincluded in the CD-ROM.
Acknowledgments
We received very valuable opinions from Mr.
Kamei at the Data Analysis Center for Geomagnetism
and Space Magnetism, the Graduate School of Science,
Kyoto University, regarding the development of the
CD-ROM prototype. We also had many pieces ofadvice from Mr. Maki at the Meteorological ResearchInstitute regarding the development of thedata-viewing software prototype. We would like toexpress our sincere appreciation for their kind support
and cooperation.
We created the CD-ROM version of the 2001 annual
report through collaboration with Mr. Koide, directorof the Research Division and all personnel of thisdivision. We would like to thank you very much foryour cooperation.

References
Ishii, Y., 2001. "Survey concerning the project toissue the annual report of the Kakioka Magnetic
Observatory in the form of a CD-ROM" and Gijutsu
Hokoku, 40(2), 49-57, 2001. (in Japanese)

Introduction of the CD-ROM publication of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory

Appendix: Directory structure of the CD-ROM version of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatoryroot
documents
doc･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････ Preamble and HTML fileerrata ････････････････････････････････････････････････ Errata concerning the annual reports issued in the past
format ････････････････････････････････････････････････ Data format
missing ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････ Information on missing data
geomagmh

mhYYYYOBSYYYYMMd_m.hor ････････････････････ Data on hourly geomagnetic values

mmYYYYOBSYYYYMMDDd_m.min ････････････････ Data on 1-minute geomagnetic values

ehYYYYOBSYYYYMMd_e.hor ･････････････････････ Table of hourly geoelectric field values

emYYYYOBSYYYYMMDDd_e.min ･････････････････ Table of 1-minute geoelectric field values

phYYYYOBSYYYYMMd_p.hor ･････････････････････ Table of hourly atmospheric electric field values

pmYYYYOBSYYYYMMDDd_p.min ･････････････････ Table of 1-minute atmospheric electric field values

mm
eh
em
ph
pm
k

kYYYY

rv

rm

kYYYYMM.dat ････････････････････････････ K-index table

mstormYYYY
mstormYYYYMM.dat ･････････････････ List of geomagnetic storms
estormYYYY
estormYYYYMM.dat ･･････････････････ List of geoelectric storms
bayYYYY
bayYYYYMM.dat ････････････････････････ List of bays
sfeYYYY
sfeYYYYMM.dat ･････････････････････････ List of sfe
siYYYYsiYYYYMM.dat・ ･････････････････････････ List of si
piYYYYpiYYYYMM.dat ･･･････････････････････････ List of pi
pcYYYYpcYYYYMM.dat ･･････････････････････････ List of pc
mkYYYYekYYYY
pkYYYY

mkYYYYMM.OBS････････････････････････ Detailed information on geomagnetic observations
ekYYYYMM.OBS ･････････････････････････ Detailed information on geoelectric observations
pkYYYYMM.OBS ･････････････････････････ Detailed information on atmospheric-electricity observations

viewer ････････････････････････････････････････････････ Executable file in the data-viewing software
man ･････････････････････････････････････････････････ Manual for the data-viewing software
yearbook
doc ･････････････････････････････････････････････････ HTML filefig
am ･････････････････････････････････････････････ Summary plot of geomagnetic secular variations
mp
all ･･････････････････････････････････････････ Dynamic spectra obtained by analyzing data
(during the whole period)
event ････････････････････････････････････････ Dynamic spectra obtained by analyzing data(when magnetic pulsations occur)tab
am ･････････････････････････････････････････････ Table of geomagnetic secular variations
ec ･･････････････････････････････････････････････ Table of observed geoelectric field values
k ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････ K-index tablemag ････････････････････････････････････････････ Table of observed geomagnetic values
pg ･･････････････････････････････････････････････ Observed atmospheric electric field values
rv ･･････････････････････････････････････････････ Table of geomagnetic rapid variations
Configuration of the CD-ROM version of the Report of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
YYYY = year (4 digits), MM = month (2 digits), DD = day (2 digits)
OBS = kak (Kakioka), mmb (Memanbetsu), kny (Kanoya), chi (Chichijima Island)13