UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN Four things to know about SuperDARN at USask – Education News Canada

SuperDARN, which stands for Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, is a global network of high-frequency radars used to study the ionosphere. This network, developed at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), helps researchers better understand space weather, a major topic for study. While the concept was pioneered by Professor Emeritus of Physics Dr. Ernie Nielsen, the development was mainly spearheaded by Professor of Physics Dr. Doug Sofko.

Since 1990, 35 radars, located in many countries, have become part of this international collaboration, forming a network that observes a significant part of the high-latitude ionosphere. The data collected through these radars provides valuable information on:

• The dynamic nature of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights)
• The structure and motion of the ionosphere, which can significantly affect communications systems, such as GPS and satellite communication
• The interactions between the Sun and Earth, particularly in the region of space weather events.

Understanding these dynamics and how the Earth interacts with the Sun is critical, especially in today’s highly technological society.

To provide context for how SuperDARN research is used to address societal problems and impact everyday life, here are four interesting points about SuperDARN and its impact.

1. SuperDARN data is freely available for researchers globally:

Unlike some other scientific instruments or datasets, the data collected from the SuperDARN network is open-access, meaning any scientist globally can use this data for their own research projects. This data is freely accessible on the SuperDARN website. SuperDARN data is used for many applications including:

• Studying space weather phenomena.
• Observing the Earth’s magnetic field.
• Understanding how ionospheric changes affect radio propagation, GPS positioning and space communication.

This data allows research beyond what SuperDARN scientists themselves are involved in. By enabling the wider community to have access to SuperDARN data, the impact is expanded as more scientists can research a specific problem, furthering the development of a variety of scientific areas and their societal implications.

2. USask’s world-leading research team is at the forefront of scientific development:

In addition to pioneering SuperDARN, USask’s Physics and Engineering Physics department boasts a strong history in high-frequency radar science, including building radars, processing data and creating visualizations to showcase these radars’ incredible abilities. This expertise led to the establishment of the Canadian Network for Space Research (CNSR), which continues to focus on high-latitude atmospheric research. It is a key research institute for advancing Canadian space research and contributing to international collaborations like the SuperDARN project.

Over the past decade, USask has further refined and evolved its data-driven, scientific methodology through developing techniques for utilizing artificial intelligence. This innovative approach allowed the researchers to expand and streamline data analysis through new approaches to visualize and track various parameters related to the auroral zone. It has improved their capacity to further understand the dynamics of space weather events, the physics of the auroral processes and better predict and understand solar eruptions. This development has proven very useful in understanding auroral disturbances.

3. The technology continues to evolve, allowing us to monitor Earth’s magnetic field in real time:

SuperDARN’s technology is continually evolving and progressing through constant updates, improving their understanding of auroral dynamics and contributing to real-time monitoring of the Earth’s magnetic field, a critical tool to predicting and mitigating geomagnetic storms.

Since its launch, the radar network has undergone numerous upgrades. It includes increased data processing capability and refined measurement techniques. SuperDARN scientists also expanded their data visualization methods through implementing interactive, user-friendly software, which now allows users to have a greater ability to interact and view data, further facilitating research and understanding.

In addition to radar technology, other initiatives aim to expand the knowledge base of space weather forecasting and prediction by utilizing novel scientific techniques. For example, scientists are now investigating and applying machine learning methods to make the predictions for the impact of solar eruptions and their implications for Earth’s atmosphere.

While current technological advances improve and expand the potential to predict these phenomena, the work is not complete.

4. Understanding space weather can have practical applications, protecting vital infrastructure:

A more significant impact of the research being done by USask scientists, like Sofko and the rest of the researchers within the CNSR and related groups, involves protecting various essential components of the infrastructure vital to human life on Earth. This ranges from the communications infrastructure we rely on daily to crucial functions like navigation, electrical grids, and many more.

Space weather, essentially a phenomenon that comes from the sun’s intense activity, can disrupt satellite operation, affecting the function of our everyday technology such as GPS. SuperDARN scientists’ work in better understanding and characterizing these space weather phenomena has allowed better communication and coordination with industries and government agencies to predict and avoid critical events like the aforementioned communications blackout or even electricity blackouts due to space weather disruptions. Such events would have wide-ranging implications for everyone. By utilizing the knowledge collected through SuperDARN, it is possible to minimize damage and maintain infrastructure in good operating conditions, allowing everyday activities and essential functions to be completed unimpeded.

While a high-intensity space weather event has yet to occur, there have been numerous reports on what it would look like to experience the effects of a severe event in modern society.

Understanding and learning about space weather, its impacts on various aspects of daily life, and what research is being done in relation to understanding it can contribute to protecting society and safeguarding our global infrastructure. The contributions and research conducted by USask researchers like Sofko and the rest of the CNSR group are fundamental in providing better tools and predictions for the future. Such research not only keeps the modern technological landscape and world in working order but also protects and safeguards human ingenuity and achievements.