Space Weather Activities

UiB is an Expert Group contributing to the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Weather service network (SWESNET) as part of ESA’s Geomagnetic Conditions Expert Service Center (G-ESC).  As an expert group in the G-ESC consortium we contribute our expertise to ESA space weather activities to ensure continued and enhanced monitoring and forecasting of space weather conditions. We explore translation of space physics research to operation where it is utilized by end users affected by space weather e.g., power systems operators, resource exploitation system operators, pipeline operators, auroral tourists and many others. UiB has a crucial role in exploring and development of physic-based space weather capability.

The BIGG system: Bergen-Imperial Global Geospace system

This is an ESA activity P3-SWE-XLV 3D MHD Modelling of the Earth’s Magnetosphere. This activity focuses on the development of space weather forecasting capability. The work includes development, installation, testing and validation of advanced system to perform 3D MHD modelling of the Earth’magnetosphere. UiB leads the BIGG consortium that also consists of Imperial College London (ICL). The BIGG system will be the first of its kind: a physics-based forecasting system utilizing two global MHD models simultaneously to provide forecasts of geomagnetic conditions. The two models are the Geospace part of the Space Weather Modeling Framework developed by University of Michigan (Toth et al., 2005, 2012) and Gorgon developed by ICL (Eggington et al., 2020). The output of the project will be demostrated in the ESA space weather portal as forecasts that can reached by end users. The BIGG products will become part of UiB expert group’s contributions to ESA’s Space weather network.  

Some of the recently completed work of the ESA space weather prejects has included feasibility studies and reports to ESA on:

• How the new EISCAT 3D radar can be utilized for space weather applications
• How physics-based models compare to already existing space weather products
• 3D MHD magnetosphere modelling: capability review