Space weather and geomagnetic data
While most of Aotearoa New Zealand are familiar with the natural hazards that can cause severe damage and disruption across our nation. Some less familiar hazards you may have noticed in the media recently are space weather, solar tsunamis, and solar storms.
So, what exactly are we talking about and what part does GNS Science play in preparing New Zealand for this natural hazard?
Activity on the Sun’s surface creates what we call space weather which can impact our national infrastructure, technology, and communications systems. Did you see the aurora australis in the sky earlier this year? That’s space weather in action.
GNS Science is one of many geomagnetic teams across the globe that measure and monitor the Earth's magnetic field and how it is being impacted by space weather events. And what’s exciting is that geomagnetic data is now available close to real-time on the GeoNet website.