Antarctic International Magnetometer Network (AIMNet)

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Antarctic International Magnetometer Network
(AIMNet)

• Mervyn Freeman
• British Antarctic Survey
• Cambridge, U.K.

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What is AIMNet?

• Coordinated international network of new and
  existing magnetometers in Antarctica.
• Based on integration of existing national
  resources and modest innovative national
  expansions.
• Gives recognised international identity that
  provides leverage for new initiatives.
• Forum for development of new technology for
  science in remote environments.
• All data available to world community through one
  web address hosted by BAS.
• Complete database copied on CD/DVD to all AIMNet
  partners.
• Whole is greater than sum of parts.

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Why Now?

• International Polar Year 2007 provides natural
  focus for international Antarctic cooperation.
• New research programmes demand integrated
  approach
• ILWS connects Sun and Earth
• ICESTAR connects northern and southern
  hemispheres
• Themis connects magnetosphere and ionosphere
• SuperDARN integrates ionospheric convection
• New low power magnetometer technology now
  available
• proven in field
• easy to deploy and low maintenance cost
• minimal environmental footprint

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The AIMNet vision

• Enhance existing Antarctic magnetometer base
  through coordination
• 20 mags at national bases
• 6 US AGO mags in field
• 11 UK and 4 Japanese low power mags in field
• Deploy new LPM clusters within 500 km of national
  stations/sites
• e.g., Italian proposal for 6 LPMs
• What if others did same?
• LPMs available from BAS under contract
  (20k/unit)
• Individual mags owned and operated by individual
  nations with full autonomy
• All data accessible through BAS virtual hub.

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Linkage to SuperDARN
Key yellow - deployed brown planned green -
proposed

• Comprehensive measurement of high-latitude
  ionospheric electrodynamics.

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LPM specification

• Up to 1 nT, 1 s resolution.
• GPS timing.
• Automatic continual operation between annual data
  collection visits.
• 80-100 coverage.
• Low power consumption
• 0.5 W from batteries charged by solar array and
  wind generator.
• 150 ms sample every 1 s
• Operation at ambient temperature (-80oC min)
• Light weight, easy to deploy from ski-equipped
  plane in 2 hours.

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LPM performance

• 100 data coverage in 2003 from 11 LPMs at 1 s
  resolution (3564 data days)
• Performance checked against co-located AGO
  magnetometers.

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Summary

• AIMNet Coordinated international network of new
  and existing magnetometers in Antarctica.
• Integrates existing magnetometer base.
• Extends autonomous magnetometer networks
• LPM clusters deployed by host nations within 500
  km of bases.
• New mags built to proven BAS LPM design under
  contract.
• Deploy for IPY 2007.
• All data available through one web address hosted
  by BAS.
• Connects to new integrated science programmes.
• Whole is greater than sum of parts.