An Experimental Study of Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Using Magnetometers

Abstract

On three occasions, portable magnetometer experiments with automated data systems designed especially for unsupervised operation were sited within a 50 km radius of underground nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether the disturbance of the atmosphere by the ground movement related to the test created a measurable perturbation current in the ionosphere. Preliminary analyses of the results suggest that the natural ULF magnetic background is too noisy to allow the certain identification of a test-related signal by visual inspection of chart records. However, more sophisticated computerized methods can be applied to identify small differences in magnetic fields measured at several sites. The negative result reported here is thus qualified to the extent that we have not made use of these more sensitive data analysis tools.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA130057

Entities

People

  • Janet G. Luhmann
  • Paul J. Coleman Jr.

Organizations

  • University of California, Los Angeles

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Atmospheres
  • Atmospheric Disturbances
  • Classification
  • Couplings
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Processing
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Ground Based
  • Identification
  • Inspection
  • Ionosphere
  • Laboratory Magnetometers
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetometers
  • Visual Inspection

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.