The quiet-time (ΣKp ≤ 3) daily variations of the geomagnetic field at the Indian Antarctic station, Maitri (Geographic Coord.: 70.75°S, 11.73°E; Geomagnetic Coord.: 66.84°S, 56.29°E) during two consecutive years of a solar minimum are considered in order to investigate the characteristics of the solar quiet (Sq) current system. The present work reports the signatures of the south limb of the Sq current loop of the southern hemisphere over a sub-auroral station. It is observed that the seasonal variation of the Sq current strength over Maitri is strongest during the summer months and weakest during the winter months. In spite of the total darkness during the winter months, an Sq pattern is identified at Maitri. The range of the horizontal field variation in the daily Sq pattern during summer is one order higher than that during winter. An interesting feature regarding the phase of the local time variation in the seasonal pattern is found here. A sharp shift in the time of the peak Sq current to later local times (> 1 hour per month) is observed during January–February and July–August, which may correspond to the transition from the complete presence, or absence, of sunlight to partial sunlight. The differences in the incoming solar UV radiation during such transitions can cause a sudden change in the local ionospheric conductivity pattern, and can also trigger some unusual thermo-tidal activity, that might be responsible for modifying the global Sq pattern.

Geomagnetic data collected during magnetic storm over magnetically conjugate pair (according to IGRF 2000) of high latitude stations viz., Maitri (70° 45′ S, 11° 42′ E) and Tromso (69° 40′ N, 18° 56′ E) reveal that amplitudes of Pc6 pulsation characteristically differ. The amplitude obtained from horizontal magnetic field for the Pc6 pulsation frequency range between 0.6 and 1.6mHz significantly differs in time corresponding to peak amplitude. The relative differences in its time of occurrence found to gradually increase around initial phase of storm and remain exactly out of phase at peak amplitude of storm. Thence, it is found to be in agreement in phase gradually until storm unwinds. This indicates that simultaneous amplitude of Pc6 pulsation at conjugate pair of stations and its time of occurrence could be a key factor to infer storm arrivals somewhat prior to its peak effects. The emphasize remains on prediction of storm arrivals only by utilizing ground based magnetometer observations. However, it is necessary to understand differences on the basis of weak, moderate, strong, and super strong cases and more exactly how they behave along the line of magnetic Meridian. Nevertheless, the analysis implies that geo-effective magnetic ejecta/clouds/CIRs/sheaths/CMEs/ICMEs giving rise to geomagnetic storm can be predicted ahead of its peak effects by having magnetometer data over conjugate locations.

A number of radio experiments were conducted at Ahmedabad (23°N, 73°E) with the aim of studying the ionospheric effects of the total solar eclipse of 11 August 1999. Rapid radio soundings from the ionosonde were made on the eclipse day and on control days. A riometer was operating at 30 MHz, and field strength measurements along the three oblique incidence paths of Colombo-Ahmedabad (11905 kHz), Bombay-Ahmedabad (558 kHz) and Rajkot-Ahmedabad (810 kHz) were also made. A reduction of about 20% was observed in the minimum frequency of reflection from the ionosonde (fmin), which indicates a reduction in D-region ionization. The critical frequency of the E-layer was not measurable beyond 1600 h IST on eclipse day due to the strong blanketing sporadic-E, but there is a 20% decrease in the critical frequency of the F1-layer. Although there was no change in the minimum virtual height of the F-layer on eclipse day, there appears to have been a decrease in the height of maximum ionization (hpF2) during the eclipse, indicating a reduction in the thickness of the F-layer. The signal strength of the Colombo-Ahmedabad path shows an initial rapid increase with the start of the eclipse (indication of a decrease in ionization in the D- and lower E-regions), but subsequently decreases until the maximum of the eclipse (excessive deviative absorption because of the wave penetrating to the E-region). The field strength measurements of the Bombay-Ahmedabad path show a large fading after sunset as the sky wave also appeared. On eclipse day the fading started about an hour earlier. Riometer recordings also show a higher signal during eclipse day, which again indicates an eclipse-associated decrease in ionization.

Earth encountered a very long duration extremely low density event during February 2004. The magnetopause was pushed away from the earth and magnetospheric current systems were modified. Geomagnetic data from ground stations and geostationary satellite are examined. It is seen that the diurnal variation at all the locations is attenuated during this event. The substorm activity is subdued and restricted to very high latitudes. ULF pulsations could not be traced out in the ground magnetic data.

Earth encountered a very long duration extremely low density event during February 2004. The magnetopause was pushed away from the earth and magnetospheric current systems were modified. Geomagnetic data from ground stations and geostationary satellite are examined. It is seen that the diurnal variation at all the locations is attenuated during this event. The substorm activity is subdued and restricted to very high latitudes. ULF pulsations could not be traced out in the ground magnetic data.

The Indian Antarctic station Maitri (geog. 70‡45’S, 11‡45’E, geom. 66‡.03S, 53‡.21E) occupies a sub-auroral location during magnetically quiet conditions (Σκρ < 10), but attains an auroral position when the auroral oval shifts equatorwards with increasing strength of magnetic disturbance. At the latter times, triangulation with 3 fluxgate magnetometers located at the vertices of a suitable triangle provides a means of monitoring mobile auroral ionospheric current systems over Maitri. The spacing between the magnetometers is typically kept at 75–200 km, keeping in mind the scale-sizes of ∼ 100 km for these mobile current systems. This work reports the results of two triangulation experiments carried out around Maitri in January 1992 and January 1995, both during Antarctic summer. The velocities estimated for pulsations of the Pc4 and Pc5 type were about 0.59 km/sec in the direction 102‡.7 east of due north, in the first case, and about 1–3 km/sec in the second case in the east-west direction. While several magnetometer arrays exist in the northern auroral regions (e.g., the Alberta array in Canada, the Alaskan array in the U.S. and the IMS Scandinavian array), there is no report in literature of triangulation through arrays in Antarctica, except for a one-day study by Neudegg et al 1995 for ULF pulsations of the Pc1 and Pc2 type. The velocities obtained for the Pi3 type of irregular pulsations over Antarctica in the present study tally well with those obtained for northern auroral locations.

Magnetovariational studies have been carried out in Singhbhum and surrounding regions during 1987 and 1989. Three deep-seated linear conductors have been identified. One of them is located to the north of Ranchi, Bokaro and Purulia extending in E-W direction coinciding with high heat flow region and Gondwana sediments. The trend of anomaly at Ranchi and Purulia at longer periods suggests a conductivity anomaly due to the mafic and ultramafic intrusions, considered to be responsible for the uplift of Chhotanagpur plateau. The second conductor is associated with the basin margin fault that separates the Singhbhum craton and Chhotanagpur plateau from the West Bengal basin. This conductive zone appears to extend further south and join the high heat flow region of Attri-Tarabalo. This conductor could be isolated only after eliminating the coast effect from the observed induction vectors. The third conductive zone follows the trend of Mahanadi valley located south of the Sukinda thrust. Conductive anomaly associated with the Sukinda and Singhbhum thrust zones could not be resolved due to the interference from neighbouring conductive structures. These two thrusts may not be very deep-seated structures. The Singhbhum granite batholith is found to be highly resistive and seems to extend to greater depths.

As-grown (010) and (111) surfaces of SnI2 and SnI4 single crystals respectively were successively chemically etched in 0.15 M hydrochloric acid solution. It was established that the pits indicate the sites of dislocations in these crystals. This was further confirmed from a comparison of the etch patterns before and after the (010) and (111) surfaces were chemically polished. The average density of the dislocations was found to be greater in SnI2 crystals than in SnI4 crystals. The lateral and normal velocities of the growth of pits in these crystals were then measured at various temperatures. The time dependence of the growth of the pits was found to be linear, whereas the temperature dependence of the growth was found to be exponential, i.e.V = A exp(-EkT). The dissolution parameters, i.e the activation energies and the pre-exponential factors for dissolution along the surface and along the dislocation lines, were computed. It was observed that the activation energies for dissolution along the various directions were different and were greater for SnI4 than for SnI2 crystals. The implications are discussed.

Close-spaced magnetometer arrays provide a powerful technique for monitoring mo- bile ionospheric current systems in the auroral regions. While several such arrays exist in the Arctic auroral regions (e.g. the Alberta array in Canada and the Scancdinavian array) there is no such array operating in Antarctica except for the Indian Summer Antarctic magnetome- ter array. During Jan. 1995 (as also during Jan. 1992 and n o w in Jan. 1996), the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Bombay operated 3- station arrays with separation distances of 100-200 km i.e. typical scale-size of the mobile auroral current systems. Velocities of these current systems as they drift eastwards or westwards in the auroral ionosphere is obtained by triangulation, from time-lags in the pulsations observed at the 3 locations. Velocities obtained are of the order 1 km/sec to 3 km/sec, and tally well with those observed at arrays in the northern hemisphere.