Space Weather

Space Weather impacts

Space Weather encompasses the conditions and processes occurring in space, including on the sun, in the magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere, which have the potential to affect the near-Earth environment.  The effects of Space Weather can range from damage to satellites arising from charged particles to disruption of power grids on Earth during geomagnetic storms, radio black-out on trans-polar aircraft routes, or disturbance of satellite positioning systems.

Space Weather monitoring, study and applications are more and more important with the increasing use of space in day-to-day life for telecommunications, observation and navigation.

 

WMO's involvement in Space Weather

In June 2008, the WMO Executive Council (EC-LX) noted the considerable impact of Space Weather on meteorological infrastructure and important human activities and acknowledged the potential synergy between meteorological and Space Weather services to operational users. The Council agreed that WMO should support international coordination of Space Weather activities and urged WMO Members to provide corresponding resources through secondments and Trust Fund donations.

In May 2011, the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-XVI) acknowledged the need for a coordinated effort by WMO Membersto address the observing and service requirements to protect the society against the global hazards of Space Weather. (See Statement on Global preparedness for Space Weather Hazards.)

Recent achievements

* Space Weather Observational Requirements (July 2011)

* Space Weather Product Portal  (February 2012)

* Statement of Guidance for Space Weather Observations (May 2012)

Interprogramme Coordination Team on Space Weather (ICTSW)

The ICTSW was established in May 2010 with a mandate to support the following activities:

• Standardization and enhancement of Space Weather data exchange and delivery through the WMO Information System (WIS)
• Harmonized definition of end-products and services, including e.g. quality assurance guidelines and emergency warning procedures, in interaction with aviation and other major application sectors
• Integration of Space Weather observations, through review of space- and surface-based observation requirements, harmonization of sensor specifications, monitoring plans for Space Weather observation
• Encouraging the dialogue between the research and operational Space Weather communities.

ICTSW has two co-chairs nominated by the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) and the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM) respectively: Dr Terry Onsager (USA, NOAA) and Dr Xiaoxin Zhang (China, CMA).  The team works primarily by teleconferences and holds one or more face-to-face meetings per year.

• ICTSW Terms of Reference and Initial Objectives  (November 2010)
• ICTSW Membership  (Updated in April 2012)
• Final Report of the first ICTSW meeting (April 2011)
• Final Report of the second ICTSW meeting (December 2011)

Space Weather reports and articles

Related links

International Space Environment Service (ISES). The main objective of ISES is to facilitate international monitoring and prediction of the space environment. The ISES web site includes links to thirteen Space Weather Regional Warning Centres and Associate Centres.

International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) . An international cooperation program to advance space weather science and education.

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