NJIT Researchers, Ham Radio Operators Partner to Track Impact of Space Weather (New Jersey)

Researchers from four universities, including New Jersey Institute of Technology, are expanding a network of ham radio operators in North America to better track how the earth’s upper atmosphere is impacted by natural phenomena such as geomagnetic storms and lightning.

The researchers are also upgrading the equipment that the operators use to record data. The goal is two-fold: extend the footprint of the network and produce more refined data. That data, in turn, will help scientists and their students better understand how those phenomena cause breakdowns in satellite transmission or emergency communications. Ultimately, that could enable them to predict such breakdowns in advance.

The collaborative project is in its second phase and supported by $1.7 million in grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The grants pay for the equipment. The ham operators are volunteers who are licensed, tech-savvy and dedicated. That makes them ideal for this type of Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation initiative — HamSCI for short.

Read more – NJIT: http://bit.ly/4hcwKlK