Space Weather Research: NSF Perspective
Irfan Azeem
National Science Foundation
Program Director, Space Weather
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Abstract
Space weather refers to environmental conditions on the Sun, in the interplanetary space, the magnetosphere, the ionosphere, and the neutral atmosphere. Severe space weather can adversely impact technological systems on the... [ view full abstract ]
Space weather refers to environmental conditions on the Sun, in the interplanetary space, the magnetosphere, the ionosphere, and the neutral atmosphere. Severe space weather can adversely impact technological systems on the ground and in space and can potentially pose a significant risk to human life, critical infrastructure, and national security. These factors make space weather research and its forecasting a national priority. Consequently, research enabling specification and forecasting of hazardous space weather effects has become of great importance and urgency. Understanding space weather requires studying the entire Sun-Earth system, including the coupling of regions all the way from the source of disturbances in the solar atmosphere to the Earth’s upper atmosphere. This calls for effective interdisciplinary collaboration and efficient leveraging of resources both nationally and internationally. This presentation will provide an overview of current and planned initiatives, programs, and activities pertaining to space weather research at the National Science Foundation.
Session
KN-3 » Keynote (10:30 - Monday, 15th May, Chairs Henry Garrett and Mark Matney)