Project #askIAGA

With this project, we would like to enhance public understanding of the science covered by IAGA and to engage with the community. Social media channels provide an ideal platform for interacting with teenagers and adults worldwide. The project #askIAGA will not only distribute content tailored for the general public but also create a two-way communication channel that will allow better connections between scientists and community. The use of simple language and graphics will help convey key scientific concepts more clearly to the public.

IAGA consists of six divisions, covering topics from the Earth’s core, mantle and crust to the atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere, and solar wind. We plan to produce six posts tackling selected questions representative of each division. The posts can be in the form of graphical material, panels, comic strips and mini animations. They will be released through IAGA’s outreach channels. Additionally, the posts will call for the public to submit further questions using the #askIAGA. The most interesting and intriguing questions suggested by the public will be transformed into subsequent posts. This will foster interaction between the public and IAGA, engaging citizens and allowing them to contribute to scientific questions that deserve answers or might inspire new research topics.

IAGA Outreach awardee for 2024 comprising of the team:

Sanja Panovska, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam.

Sabrina Sanchez, freelance illustrator residing in France with previous experience in research.

The train from PhD to PostDoc #2

In this new series, we are asking postdocs who have recently received their PhDs on the whens and hows
of the process.

Our interviewee for today's blog is Dr. Hannah Rogers, a postdoc at ISTerre, Universite Grenoble Alpes. She did her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She works on applying mathematical methods to the inversion process that produces core surface flow models from satellite magnetic field change (secular variation) data. Currently she is a member of the GRACEFUL ERC grant, looking at incorporating weighted averages of satellite data to improve stochastic flow models. One day she hopes to use the secular variation to constrain the regional dynamics happening under the seismic anomalies observed at the base of the mantle.

When is the right time to start looking for a postdoc?

This is a very difficult question as I don’t think that there is a ‘right’ time. Unfortunately, there is an element of luck and good timing depending on who gets funding when. Personally, I started thinking about postdocs and future jobs about 7 months before my thesis submission because I wanted to contact people who I had never met (Covid-19 limited conference interactions) and I would have struggled to fund a prolonged career gap. I had multiple rejections and was applying to jobs outside of academia as well. Be flexible and consider what your priorities are: is it staying in the country you live or staying in academia or staying within your direct discipline? It is okay to apply for multiple positions and decide which way you rank them later.

Assuming you want to start right after, how to obtain a postdoc position?

Depending on your situation, it is very difficult to start ‘straight after’ the PhD. When I moved country to start my postdoc, visa applications and paperwork coincided with the French holiday period, meaning that I had to delay my ideal start date. Some friends (particularly those staying at the same institution) were able to start immediately with zero problems! However, I’d recommend that you schedule some time to rest for yourself as well. You will have just submitted (probably) the biggest piece of writing from (probably) one of the most stressful periods of your life! You deserve to give your brain some rest before diving into the next chapter! 

What changes come between PhD and postdoc?

Quite a lot changed for me between my PhD and postdoc – new country, new day-to-day language, new department, new coding language, new satellite dataset, new mathematical process…. However, my colleagues are amazing and I feel excited by tackling new problems that I hadn’t seen during my PhD. I feel like I’m juggling a lot more projects as I try to finish papers from my PhD alongside working on my current job and also having to consider what comes next as well. At the end of the day though, I’m still using satellite data to study an interesting inversion process to try and find out more about the Earth’s outer core motion. Personally, the jump to a postdoc has been really positive and I’ve loved it. This is despite the beginning being overwhelming and at moments you question why you do a job that seems more difficult than working outside of academia.

Let us know your questions in the comments you want answers to in the next blog of the series!

The train from PhD to PostDoc #1

In this new series, we are asking postdocs who have recently received their PhDs on the whens and hows of the process.

Our interviewee for today's blog is Dr. Shivangi Sharan, a postdoc at Imperial College London, UK. She did her PhD from the Laboratory of Planetology and Geosciences in Nantes, France. She works on the magnetic fields of planetary bodies. In her current position, she is working with the JUICE mission J-MAG instrument team.

When is the right time to start looking for a postdoc?

I don't think there's a right time. It all depends on when you want to do it. Many people prefer to take a break between their PhD and postdoc while some want to start it right after. You also need to see if you want to continue in academics or if you would like to shift to industry. This usually you understand by the last year of your PhD.

Assuming you want to start right after, how to obtain a postdoc position?

You can start networking from whenever but mostly, a few months before your PhD ends would be a good time to start looking and applying for positions and fellowships. Same goes if you want to switch to industry. On the other hand, keep a look out for potential positions even if their advertised start date is earlier. Most positions depend on the candidate and are flexible with the joining date. What is important is for you to be interested in the topic. Your interview will mostly be about the challenges you have tackled in your PhD and if you seem keen enough for these next challenges in your postdoc.

"Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham
www.phdcomics.com

What changes come between PhD and postdoc?

PhD is all about learning the skill you will use later on. And postdoc is all about applying the skill you learnt. It also depends a lot on your supervisor and institute. Some supervisors take a lot of involvement in your work while others let you work independently. In both cases, regular meetings about your objectives and goals are important so you know you are headed in the direction of the planned course of action. Discussing your non-academic life is equally important in order to ensure there is no stress. Communication is key in almost all aspects of life!

Let us know your questions in the comments you want answers to in the next blog of the series!

Q&A with IAGA!

All your questions about how IAGA works answered in this blog!

Where does IAGA get its funding from?

IAGA is a non-governmental body that is part of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The IUGG has 58 regular and 15 associate member countries that pay subscriptions to it. This fee is used to fund the 8 organisations of IUGG, IAGA being one of them. Click here to know the process if your country would like to join IUGG.

How does IAGA appoint representatives?

On behalf of the Member Countries, IAGA is administered by an Executive Body that is elected by a Nominating Committee, following the by-laws mentioned here. Each country has a National Correspondent nominated by the national bodies. The Chief Delegates may vote on all matters. Officers normally serve 4 years (some 8 years). They preside over one IAGA and one IUGG General Meeting.

Can an Early Career Researcher be part of IAGA?

Any researcher can be a part of IAGA. There are no membership fees or formality to participate in the activities of the organisations. IAGA welcomes scientists from all over the world to take part in the Associations' events as well as scientific information exchange.

Can an Early Career Researcher be a representative of any IAGA Committee?

There are Early Career Liaison Representatives for each Division as well as Commission. Most of the ECRs are elected for this position. However, there are no age limits determined for other positions, which makes it possible for ECRs to represent IAGA in them as well. They may also act as National Correspondents of their country. To know more, they can contact the present Correspondents. The list can be found on this website under the 'Administration' tab.

Who do I contact if I have something (good/bad) to say/ask about the workings in my country?

You can contact your National Correspondents for any issue in your country. You may also contact the Executive Body for any details you might need or questions you might have. You can contact the Division members specifically if your query is related to it. You can find the contact information of all IAGA position holders here.

Geomagnetic Observatories, Surveys and Analyses : IAGA Division V

Dr. Masahito Nosé is the Division Chair for Division V : Geomagnetic Observatories, Surveys and Analyses. Here, he answers some of our questions about himself and his division. 

1) Could you please tell us something about yourself?

I am Dr. Masahito Nosé, working for Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Japan. I earned Ph.D. in 1998 and had jobs at Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, USA for 1998–2001 and at World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto/Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Japan for 2001–2018. My research interests include geomagnetic field variations, geomagnetic indices, energetic particle acceleration, plasma ion composition, and ring current dynamics. Recent topic is development of low-cost magnetometer with magneto-impedance sensor, which make it possible to deploy a dense ground observation network.

2) What are the basic research questions of the IAGA division you head? 

IAGA Division V, Geomagnetic Observatories, Surveys and Analyses, has objectives to promote high quality standards in geomagnetic data acquisition, observatory and survey procedures, geomagnetic indices, and data dissemination; to analyse magnetic observation data for the purposes of understanding the various sources of the magnetic field. In this respect, the following three working groups are active: Working Group V-OBS: Geomagnetic Observation; Working Group V-MOD: Geomagnetic Field Modeling; and Working Group V-DAT: Geomagnetic Data and Indices.

 

Location of geomagnetic observatories in operation. Image from BGS.

3) What are the past important results of this division? 

Working Group (WG) V-OBS maintains a list of observatories operating worldwide now and in the past, and allocates IAGA codes. WG is also responsible for the organisation of a workshop on geomagnetic observatory instruments, data acquisition and processing every two years. These efforts keep quality for measurements and for data processing. Two IAGA Guides related to geomagnetic observations have been published: “IAGA Guide for Magnetic Measurements and Observatory Practice” by J. Jankowski and C. Sucksdorff in 1996 and “IAGA Guide for Magnetic Repeat Station Surveys” by L.R. Newitt, C.E. Barton, and J. Bitterly in 1997.

Working Group V-MOD released the 13th Generation International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-13) in December 2019. The IGRF model is widely used not only in research community but also in ordinary society. This is the outcome of enduring efforts of this working group and continuous observations of geomagnetic field on ground and by satellites.

Earth's magnetic structure. Image from NOAA NCEI.

Working Group V-DAT has been supporting derivation of geomagnetic indices and event lists such as aa index, am index, Kp index, Disturbance storm-time (Dst) index, Auroral Electrojet (AE) index, Polar Cap (PC) index, SSC (storm sudden commencement) and SFE (solar flare effect), and Q-Days and D-Days. These indices and event list are inevitable for research in space physics and space weather. This working group also designed the geomagnetic field data dissemination format called IAGA2002 format, which is now used as standard in data exchange.

4) What do you think would be the future applications or impacts through this research?

Continuous activity of Division V is essential to keep precise geomagnetic observations and products depending on them, for example, IAGA-endorsed geomagnetic indices, event list, and IGRF model. High-quality geomagnetic field data and geomagnetic indices can be applied to space weather forecast and geomagnetically induced current research.

Aeronomic Phenomena : IAGA Division II

Dr. Christoph Jacobi is the Division Chair for Division II: Aeronomic Phenomena. He is a professor of Meteorology at the Institute for Meteorology in the University of Leipzig, Germany. Here, he answers some of our questions about his division.

1) Could you please tell us something about your division? 

Division II is organized in eight working groups, 2 of them jointly with Division III.

 

2) What are the basic research questions of the IAGA division you head?

Division II aims at improving the understanding of the dynamics, chemistry, energetics and electrodynamics of the atmosphere-ionosphere system as well as the coupling processes and long-term climatological changes by extensive observations, sophisticated data analysis techniques and simulations with whole atmosphere-ionosphere models.

 

3) Who are your main collaborators within IAGA and outside?

Within IAGA, Division II closely cooperates with Division III, e.g. through joint working groups. There is also some collaboration with ICMA/IAMAS, e.g. through joint symposia. SCOSTEP is an important cooperating international commission. Joint symposia and workshops were organized.

 

Graphic of the Earth's upper atmosphere. The ionosphere is a plasma layer extending from the middle of the mesosphere that goes upto the magnetosphere. Photo from NASA.

4) What are the past important results of this division?

One important aspect is creating and continuously improving and understanding the scenario of the climatological change of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere by analysing observations as well as sophisticated modelling.

 

5) What do you think would be the future applications or impacts through this research?

Further development of the scenario of the climatological change of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere and application of our knowledge of this global change to societal impacts (increasing lifetime of space debris dangerous to human space technologies, impact on GNSS signal propagation and its applications in positioning and navigation, etc.). High potential can be seen in prediction of the behaviour from short to long term scales.

Internal Magnetic Fields : IAGA Division I

Dr. Ján Šimkanin, is the Division Chair for IAGA Division I : Internal Magnetic Fields. Here, he answers some of our questions about himself and his division.

1) Could you please tell us something about yourself?

I work at the Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic. My research is aimed at the magnetoconvection in the Earth’s core and other planets, numerical modelling of Geodynamo and planetary hydromagnetic dynamos, and cosmic magnetohydrodynamics.

From 2011—2015, I was the Co-Chair of the working group I-1: Theory of Planetary Magnetic Fields and Geomagnetic Secular Variation of Division I – Internal Magnetic Fields of IAGA, and from 2015—2019, I was the Chair of the above mentioned working group. For 2019—2023 I am the Chair of Division I – Internal Magnetic Fields of IAGA.

2) What are the basic research questions of the IAGA division you head?

Division I of IAGA represents a variety of research fields including planetary magnetism, geomagnetism, palaeomagnetism and rock magnetism. Investigations are focused on theory of planetary magnetic fields, measurements from magnetic observatories and satellites, palaeomagnetic and archaeomagnetic records, secular variations, palaeointensities, geomagnetic field reversals, palaeomagnetism, environmental magnetism, biomagnetism and magnetic anisotropy, computational modelling combined with laboratory experiments.

3) Who are your main collaborators within IAGA and outside?

My main collaborators are Co-Chairs of Divisions I, i.e. Dr. Nicolas Gillet from University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, Dr. Julie Carlut from IPGP Paris (both from France) and Dr. Qingsong Liu from Department of Marine Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.

Internal magnetic field orientation comparison of different planets. (from 2007 Thomson Higher Education)

4) What are the past important results of this division?

— numerical simulations of the geodynamo at extreme parameters

— modelling of rapid field changes 

— geomagnetic data assimilation and inverse problems

— topographic coupling between the core and the mantle

— interdisciplinary approaches that include cooperation among archaeologists, geophysicists, geochemists, and soil scientists

— environmental magnetism applied to investigate past climate, environmental pollution, sediment transport and erosion

5) What do you think would be the future applications or impacts through this research?

—  characterising planetary fields (their existence, possible changes through time) would help understand and constrain the evolution of planets: what are the sources of energy (buoyancy, orbital forcings as tides and precession), with possible impacts on, e.g., atmospheric escape and possible  feed-back on mantle dynamics (e.g., through rheology).

—  understanding of rapid magnetic variations observed on the Earth would validate or not the existence of a stratified layer at the top of the core, with impacts on the CMB heat flux and the Earth's evolution through its history.

—  on the Earth it would also help forecast the current core field evolution, with impacts on space weather and the electro-magnetic environment of satellites.

— overall, planetary magnetic fields are full of mysteries, and understanding them is just beautiful in itself.

— the scope of palaeomagnetism has been extended gradually from traditional tectonic magnetism, variations in palaeomagnetic field and the related Earth's interior processes, to a wide range geological applications, including rock-, environmental-, bio-magnetism, and comparative planetology.

— these interdisciplinary applications can be used to resolve some major scientific questions that the whole human being's society cares, such as, will the polarity of the Earth’s magnetic field reverse in the future? Or is there life on Mars?

Magnetospheric Phenomena : IAGA Division III

Dr. Simon Wing is the Division Chair for IAGA Division III : Magnetospheric Phenomena. Here, he answers some of our questions about himself and his division.

1) Could you please tell us something about yourself?

I am a space physicist at the Johns Hopkins University.  I study solar wind entry into the magnetosphere, plasma transport in the planetary (Earth, Jupiter, Saturn) magnetospheres, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, radiation belts, solar dynamo, and space weather. Recently, I have been applying information theory to space data to establish linear and nonlinear relationships and causalities. 

2) What are the basic research questions of the IAGA division you head?

There are many, perhaps too many to list here.  IAGA Div III research questions include how the Sun transfers mass and energy to the planetary (including Earth’s) magnetospheres and ionospheres?; what are the magnetospheric responses to the solar wind driving, e.g., storms and substorms?; how do electromagnetic waves interact with ions and electrons?; what are the roles of plasma turbulence in magnetospheric dynamics?; where and how does magnetic reconnection occur and what are its impacts in the magnetosphere? etc. This is by far an incomplete list and a rather simplistic description of very complex research questions and problems that Div III tries to solve.  

Flow of plasma energy around Earth's magnetosphere. Solar energy absorbed through the magnetopause circulates in the magnetosphere and becomes energy that generates the radiation belt and auroras. (from JAXA)

3) Who are your main collaborators within IAGA and outside?

In the last five years, I have collaborated with about 20-30 scientists within and outside IAGA.

4) What are the past important results of this division?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are too many. It would be difficult to come up with a complete list. Rather than trying to enumerate them all, I would say that Div III has made a lot of progresses in the list of questions listed above. 

At each IAGA conference, Div III presents a rather unique session called Reporter Review.  This session highlights the progresses in the fields in the last few years. So, the readers who are interested to learn about recent important results in the Div III are encouraged to attend this session. 

( IAGA-IASPEI 2021 conference can be followed here : http://iaga-iaspei-india2021.in )

5) What do you think would be the future applications or impacts through this research?

Space weather can adversely affect our technological infrastructures and lives on Earth and in space. Div III research has huge potential impacts on and applications for space weather.