Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

Space Weather Monitoringin Pakistan
G. Murtaza
Space Science Dte
SUPARCO1
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Activities in the context of SWx

 Monitoring and study of ionosphere Monitoring of geomagnetic field Monitoring of solar activity

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, JapanPurpose of SWx Operation/ Research Provision of SWx data and services to help mitigate
risks

to

technologicalsystems,

operationsandapplications
 Provision of timely alerts and advisory regarding SWx
to national agencies
 Sharing of data for carrying out scientific studies
 Collaboration with international SWx forecast centres
for improvement of assimilative models and services

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Services MUF/ FOT Predictions
 Ionospheric data
 HF advisory Geomagnetic data
 Solar Flares/ Geomagnetic storm
warning Training & Educational support

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Services

Geomagnetic storm

Daily space weather summary
Total blackout

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

History
YearEvent1971

Establishment of ionospheric station at Karachi and installation of British
Ionosonde Mark II

1975

Replacement of British Ionosonde Mark II by analogue Japanese IonosondePIR-9 (Panoramic Ionospheric Recorder-9) at Karachi

1978

Establishment of ionospheric station at Islamabad and installation of PIR-9B

1983

Establishment of geomagnetic observatory (AMOS-III) , EDA Canada atKarachi

1987

Replacement of PIR-9 by Digisonde DGS-256 at Karachi, establishment ofionospheric station at Multan and shifting of PIR 9 from Karachi to Multan

1992

Replacement of PIR-9 by Digisonde DGS-256 at Islamabad

2008

Installation of DPS-4 at Multan

2008

Establishment of Islamabad geomagnetic observatory and shifting of Karachi
geomagnetic observatory to Sonmiani

2013

Installation of Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SID) Monitors

2014

Installation of GNSS TEC Scintillation Receiver and CALLISTO at Sonmiani

2015

Installation of GNSS TEC Scintillation Receiver and CALLISTO at Multan
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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Infrastructure65° E

 Ionosondes
 Magnetometers
 Variometers

35° N

 SID monitors

70° E

75° E

CALLISTO
Riometer
Solar Telescope
GNSS Receiver
SID Monitors
Ionosondes

35° NMagnetometers

 CALLISTO
 Riometers

30° N

30° N

MULTAN Optical telescope GNSS TEC
Scintillation
receivers

Existing
Upcoming

25° N

25° N
SONMIANI

65° E

70° E

75° E

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Ground Based Sensors (Ionosphere)DGS-256 at Sonmiani (geog: 24.95°N, 66.45°E) & Islamabad(geog: 33.75°N, 73.13°E)

DPS-4 at Multan (geog: 30.18°N, 71.48°E)

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Ground Based Sensors (Ionosphere)
 GNSS TEC/ Scintillation receivers at Sonmiani & Multan
 SID monitors at Sonmiani, Multan & Islamabad

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Ground Based Sensors (Geomag)
 Variometers/ magnetometers at Sonmiani (geom: 17.26°N,141.33°E) & Islamabad (geom: 25.42°N, 148.73°E)

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Ground Based Sensors (Solar)
CALLISTO at Sonmiani & MultanSunspot Observation Telescope at Karachi

Solar activity monitoring softwares

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Available Resources (contd)
Observation Data
 Ionosonde data at 15 min interval Geomagnetic data at 1 min and 2.5 sec interval
 Absolute geomagnetic field data 2-3 times in a week Solar radio burst data at 800 measurements/ sec
 SID data at 5 sec sampling rate
 Scintillation data at 1 sec interval & TEC data at 15 sec interval
 K – index

Model codes Near real time K-index codes Regional model codes using EOFs (Empirical Orthogonal
Functions)12
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Available Resources
Measurement/Analysis Techniques

SAO Explorer – Ionospheric data

Absolute/ Turbo basic routines –geomagnetic data

KASM – k-index

Spectrum Lab – VLF signals

Python routines – Solar RadioBursts

Human Resources

Researchers

5Technicians913
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd)
Membership: Asia-Oceania Space Weather Alliance (AOSWA)
 Inter program Coordination Team on Space Weather(ICTSW) International Real-time Magnetic Network (INTERMAGNET)

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd)
APSCO studies: Atmospheric effects on ionospheric modeling throughstudy of radio wave propagation and solar activity
 Research on determining precursors ionosphericsignatures of Earthquake by ground based ionosphericsounding15
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd)
SUPARCO shares its data with:
 WDC – Solar and Terrestrial Science INTERMAGNET APSCOSUPARCO also contributed in: COSMIC Campaign – USA Oersted mission – Denmark

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd)
SUPARCO benefits from:Space Weather Software/ Models–SWB–

WSA-ENLIL–ASSA–PropLab, SWIM & SWARM

–IGRF

–IRI

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd) Satellite Based Data/ Information– GOES, ACE, SOHO, SDO

 Web based data/ information– Solar Indices (SSN, F10.7cm, T-index)– Geomagnetic Indices (Kp, Ap & Dst)
– IQD & IDD

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

International Cooperation (contd)
The 1st Workshop on “Geomagnetic Observatories and theirApplications” was held for OIC member countries, 03-13 April,2012 at the Geomagnetic Observatory, Islamabad with thecollaboration of IRM, Belgium, ISNET & NCP. About 24
participants attended the Workshop among whom 09 were locals
and 15 were foreigners.

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Training and Short Courses
 Space Weather Challenges of Solar Cycle 24, Karachi Solar Radiation and modern technologies, Islamabad Space weather monitoring, Karachi Impact of Solar Radiation on Earth, Ionosphere andGeomagnetic Field, Karachi

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Scientific Studies
 Validation of K-indices through comparative analysis forSonmiani Geomagnetic Observatory, Pakistan, Journal of
Atmospheric & Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 2013
 Geomagnetic activities in Pakistan since 2006-to date, Earth
Science and Technology, 2012
 Study of maximum electron density NmF2 at Karachi andIslamabad during solar minimum (1996) and solar maximum(2000) and its comparison with IRI, Advances in Space
Research, 2009 Comparing IRI and a regional model with ionosondemeasurements in Pakistan, Advances in Space Research,2008
21
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, JapanFuture Plans
 Setup of collaborative Oblique Sounding hardware
 Development of professional skills necessitatedfor space weather predictions
 Joining as one of the regional centers ofinternational network

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Near Future Targets
Space Weather Monitoring Center
Pakistan is currently working towards the establishment of aSpace Weather Monitoring Centre. The centre aims to integrate
and upgrade the existing facilities at remote sites, and to install
new ground based instrument for monitoring SWx.
Human Resource Development
 Higher studies
 Short trainings
Collaborative studies/ projects under: APSCO (in progress)
 AOSWA (planned)

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Resources Required Flare Monitoring Telescope (FMT) in Pakistan
 Upgrading of ionosondes (DGS 256 & DPS-4)
 Collaborative studies in plasma and solar physics

with any AOSWA members willing to undertake
collaborative work. Requirement of data would
depend on need basis.

 Accurate Models / codes for forecasting space
weather24
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Resources Required (contd)
 Higher studies (MS, PhD) along with scholarships
 Short trainings on:- Scientific data analysis- Installation and calibration of instruments

 International cooperation to establish Space WeatherMonitoring Centre

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Collaborative Future Studies(planned)
We are working on the following studies/titles and desire to publish
these:
1. Variations in F2-layer parameters and comparison with IRI overPakistan for deep solar minimum
2. Ionospheric variability of low and mid latitude for solar cycle 22and 23 (under preparation)
3. Solar cycle effect on coupling of neutral and ionized species atF2 altitude
4. A study of the relationship between the critical frequency of
the F2 layer of the ionosphere and the GPS total electron content in
the equatorial anomaly region
5. Use of Pakistani and MAGDAS geomagnetic data to investigate
EEJ
6. Effects of Coronal Hole High Speed Stream Effects on theGeomagnetic Field Variation at Sonmiani during 2007-2012

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3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan

Collaborative Future Studies(planned)
We are working on the following studies/titles and desire to publish
these:•••••Development of Asia Oceania Reference Ionosphere model
Ionospheric variability of low and mid latitude for solar cycle 22and 23
Use of Pakistani and MAGDAS geomagnetic data to investigate
EEJ
Development of Pakistani TEC map (EOF, SHA, Neural network)
Study of effects of Solar Wind on the morphology of ionosphere28
3rd AOSWA Workshop, Mar 2-5, 2015, Fukuoka, Japan