Establishment of a Patrol Imager at AEOS for Space Weather and Mesospheric Studies
Abstract
Researchers at Cornell University have developed, implemented, and begun to reap the scientific benefits of a dual camera/Global Positioning System installed at the Advanced Electro-Optic System on top of the Haleakala Volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaii. This effort was a special AFOSR addition to the joint NSF/AFOSR Maui MLT initiative and constituted a major contribution by the AFOSR to the National Space Weather program. Images of unprecedented quality have been obtained detailing the development and motion of severe convective ionospheric storms and ionospheric thunderstorms. These data have led to three Geophysical Research Letters publications, including one that was featured on the cover. One paper laid the groundwork for using future geostationary images of Space Weather phenomena by providing ground truth for orbital imaging of such storms. Two technology transfers were accomplished: airglow camera software was transferred to a national center, and a method for predicting severe Space Weather was transferred to the Air Force Research Laboratory. A statistical study in press has laid important groundwork for supporting the upcoming Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System. The papers are as follows: "Observations of equatorial spread-F from Haleakala, Hawaii," by M.C. Kelley, J.J. Makela, B.M. Ledvina, and PM. Kintner, 29(20), 2003; "Field-aligned 777.4-nm composite airglow images of equatorial plasma depletions," by J.J. Makela and M.C. Kelley, 30(8), 2003; and "The first coordinated ground- and space-based optical observations of equatorial plasma bubbles," by M.C. Kelley, J.J. Makela, L.J. Paxton, F. Kamaladabi, J.M. Comberiate, and H. Kil, 30(14), 2003. (5 figures, 13 refs.)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 19, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420446
Entities
People
- Michael C. Kelley
Organizations
- Cornell University College of Engineering