WDC archive - Preservation of Old data

In 2020, the World Data Centers for Solid Earth Physics and Solar‐Terrestrial Physics (Moscow, Russia) continued the work on the “Preservation of Old Data” project, aimed at digitizing analog data from observatories into electronic documents by in‐line scanning. 

 

 

 

The data of the 8 ionospheric stations (43,500 documents) were transferred to a digital form. This includes the results of a vertical sounding of the ionosphere (tables and graphs of hourly mean values of the ionospheric parameters), measurements of absorption, ionospheric winds, atmospheric radio noise, parameters of electronic density of the ionosphere. 

 

 

Digital documents have been verified and edited. For the data in PDF format, the catalog and metadata have been compiled, a data archive has been formed and published on the website. The data archive for the hourly average values of the elements of the geomagnetic field, recorded by the former USSR observatories from 1957 to the beginning of the 90s, that had been previously fully scanned and translated into PDF files, has undergone verification process and editing. 

In 2020, 82 annual datasets of 4 observatories were checked, edited and added to the archive. Currently the time tables of the 26 observatories containing hourly average values of the elements of the geomagnetic field are ready and located in the WDC archive.

Contributed by the Chair of the Interdivisional Commission on History, Dr. Anatoly Soloviev, from the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Commission encourages historical geophysical research and preservation of IAGA's history.

IGY by ICH

A thorough insight into the International Geophysical Year (IGY) project from a 60‐year later perspective has been depicted by Y. Lyubovtseva, A. Gvishiani, A. Soloviev et al. in “Sixtieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (1957–2017) – contribution of the Soviet Union” published in the History of Geo‐ and Space Sciences journal (https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss‐11‐ 157‐2020). 

The IGY was the most significant international scientific event in geophysical sciences in the history of mankind. This was the largest international experiment that brought together about 300 000 scientists from 67 countries. Well‐planned activity of national and international committees was organized for the first time.

Read also about the "The IGY and Me" blogs published in our last blog here.

Contributed by the Chair of the Interdivisional Commission on History, Dr. Anatoly Soloviev, from the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Commission encourages historical geophysical research and preservation of IAGA's history.

K index digitization

K index is one of the oldest universal indices of geomagnetic activity that is still being widely used. The multidecadal practice of its application makes it an indispensable source of information for retrospective and historical analysis of solar‐terrestrial interaction for nearly eight Solar cycles. 

Example of range limits of K-index at different observatories. Credit : http://isgi.unistra.fr/what_are_kindices.php 

Most significantly, while studying the historical geomagnetic data, K index datasheets are in most cases more convenient for automated analysis than the analogue magnetograms. World Data Center for Solar‐Terrestrial Physics (Moscow, Russia) collected and digitized the results of the K index determination at 41 geomagnetic observatories of the former USSR for the period from July 1957 to early 1990s. 

This unique historical data collection is valuable for retrospective analysis and studying geomagnetic events in the past as well as for data validation or forecasting. This data collection is now available from the PANGEA data archive (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.922233), and the relevant data paper has been published in the ESSD journal: N.Sergeyeva, A.Gvishiani, A.Soloviev, L.Zabarinskaya, T.Krylova, M.Nisilevich, and R.Krasnoperov (2021), Historical K index data collection of Soviet magnetic observatories, 1957–1992, ESSD, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd‐2020‐270.

Contributed by the Chair of the Interdivisional Commission on History, Dr. Anatoly Soloviev, from the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Commission encourages historical geophysical research and preservation of IAGA's history.

Digitization of Kosmos Missions

Geophysical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences performed digitization of IZMIRAN catalogues containing historical data of magnetic satellite missions Kosmos‐49 (1964) and Kosmos‐321 (1970). 

External view of Kosmos-321 and Kosmos-356 from Krasnoperov et al. 2020.

Totally 17300 measured values are available for Kosmos‐49 mission, covering homogeneously 75% of the Earth's surface between 49° north and south latitude. About 5000 measured values are available for Kosmos‐321 mission, covering homogeneously 94% of the Earth's surface between 71° north and south latitude. 

The mission of Kosmos‐26 and Kosmos‐49 confirmed the possibility of using Earth’s magnetic field data for determination of spacecraft orientation. The obtained geomagnetic data justified the evidence of propagation of magnetic anomalies, associated with the structure and tectonics of the Earth’s crust, to the heights of low‐ orbiting satellites. 

In 2020, these results were presented to the scientific community in the ESSD data paper “Early Soviet satellite magnetic field measurements in the years 1964 and 1970” by Krasnoperov R., Peregoudov D., Lukianova R., Soloviev A., Dzeboev B. (https://doi.org/10.5194/essd‐12‐555‐2020). The value of the presented data is emphasized by the fact that older and publicly available global satellite data on the Earth's magnetic field in digital form for that period are rare and hard to acquire.

Contributed by the Chair of the Interdivisional Commission on History, Dr. Anatoly Soloviev, from the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Commission encourages historical geophysical research and preservation of IAGA's history.

ICH sessions in IAGA-IASPEI 2021!!

ICH has co‐organized two sessions as part of the upcoming 2021 IAGA‐IASPEI Joint Scientific Assembly : 

“Analogue Data for Future: Preservation and Present‐Day Utilization of Instrumental Historical Data in Geosciences” (together with IASPEI) 

“Remarkable geomagnetic events and indices: Derivation, history, and applications for space weather” (together with Div. IV, V and ICSW)

Do attend the sessions for the submissions from both IASPEI and IAGA communities covering all aspects of historical research in geophysics and involving historical data archives.

Contributed by the Chair of the Interdivisional Commission on History, Dr. Anatoly Soloviev, from the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The Commission encourages historical geophysical research and preservation of IAGA's history.