The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) program regularly issues “community challenges” in which researchers examine a particular space physics phenomenon or geomagnetic activity event, often running numerical models to assess dominant processes and understand the timing and relationship of observed signatures. The GEM Methods and Validation Resource Group helps those GEM focus group leaders running challenges to maximize participation and optimize scientific return from the significant time investment of these endeavors. This article gives a brief history of GEM community challenges and details those best practices that lead to an inclusive and valuable experience.

The first two of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R series spacecraft, GOES-16, and GOES-17, were launched in November 2016 and March 2018, respectively. Space weather instruments on board GOES-R Series spacecraft include the low-and high-energy magnetospheric particle sensors, MPS-LO and MPS-HI. These sensors measure 30-eV to similar to 3-MeV electrons in 25 differential energy channels and one integral ( > 2 MeV) channel. Since launch, a growing catalog of recurring GOES-R series operational anomalies has been maintained by the GOES-R program. A subset of the anomalies show a clear relation to ambient electron fluxes. These anomalies are primarily associated with the solar pointing platform (SPP) instruments and their interface with the spacecraft. The list of GOES-R operational anomalies and continuous in situ electron measurements from the same satellites provide an unsurpassed opportunity to study the interrelation between spacecraft errors and the ambient electron environment. In this work, we focus on one type of spacecraft anomaly involving telemetry between the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray irradiance sensors (EXIS) and the spacecraft. It is found that these anomalies occur more frequently when ambient electron flux levels are elevated. Comparisons with full distributions of measured fluxes and distributions of fluxes preceding anomalies show that the anomaly occurrences are most well associated with the elevation of similar to 130-keV electrons above normal levels, implicating shallow internal charging by electrons in the low hundreds of kiloelectron volts. This is confirmed by results from superposed epoch analysis (SEA) showing strong peaks in MPS-HI energy channels in the low hundreds of kiloelectron volts preceding the anomalies by similar to 30 min. Analysis of the local time dependence of the anomalies and measured fluxes reveal that there is a delay between the peak in ambient electron flux and anomaly occurrences suggesting a charging timescale of similar to 30 min to several hours

Many of our generation's most pressing environmental science problems are wicked problems, which means they cannot be cleanly isolated and solved with a single "correct" answer. (AI2ES) seeks to address such problems by developing synergistic approaches with a team of scientists from three disciplines: environmental science (including atmospheric, ocean, and other physical sciences), artificial intelligence (AI), and social science including risk communication. As part of our work, we developed a novel approach to summer school, held from 27 to 30 June 2022. The goal of this summer school was to teach a new generation of environmental scientists how to cross disciplines and develop approaches that integrate all three disciplinary perspectives and approaches in order to solve environmental science problems. In addition to a lecture series that focused on the synthesis of AI, environmental science, and risk communication, this year's summer school included a unique "trust-a-thon" component where participants gained hands-on experience applying both risk communication and explainable AI techniques to pretrained machine learning models. We had 677 participants from 63 countries register and attend online. Lecture topics included trust and trustworthiness (day 1), explainability and interpretability (day 2), data and workflows (day 3), and uncertainty quantification (day 4). For the trust-a-thon, we developed challenge problems for three different application domains: 1) severe storms, 2) tropical cyclones, and 3) space weather. Each domain had associated user persona to guide user-centered development.

Abstract We characterize the long‐term bias stability of the GOES‐NOP series magnetometers (GOES‐13, 14, and 15) using data from 2013 through 2018. Bias stability is inferred using three methods: comparing the inboard and outboard measurements on each spacecraft, comparing the individual measurements to the TS04 magnetic field model, and comparing measurements between different GOES‐NOP spacecraft. Comparisons between the inboard and outboard magnetometers demonstrate that GOES‐14 and GOES‐15 measurements are stable within approximately 1–2 nT. The GOES‐13 inboard magnetometer has known contamination issues that hinder a useful inboard/outboard comparison, but inter‐spacecraft comparisons with GOES‐14 and GOES‐15 indicate that the GOES‐13 outboard magnetometer is also stable to 1–2 nT. Direct comparisons of each measurement to the TS04 magnetic field model support the conclusion that there is little long‐term bias drift over the 6‐year period. Model uncertainty and the variability of the field at geostationary orbit create a noise floor that is similar to the variability of the magnetometer biases. While these relative comparisons do not provide absolute measurement uncertainty, they do constrain the stability of the observations, allowing for future absolute calibration of the DC bias through different methods.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) constellation has provided users with well-calibrated and validated satellite data enabling the dissemination of key environmental products to stakeholders for more than 40 years. The latest series of four satellites, referred to as the GOES-R Series (GOES R, S, T, U), provides continuity for the next generation of users and offers the first significant upgrade in instrument capability in decades. Six new and improved instruments to observe Earth, the Sun, and the space weather environment were developed for each of the four satellites in the GOES-R Series as well as a new ground system for product generation, access, and distribution. This book is intended to serve the reader as an introduction and overview to the capabilities and products enhanced by select imagery (and e-book animations) to aid in understanding how the information can and will be used in decision support services.

An outstanding issue in the general circulation model simulations for Earth's upper atmosphere is the inaccurate estimation of Joule heating, which could be associated with the inaccuracy of empirical models for high-latitude electrodynamic forcing. The binning methods used to develop those empirical models may contribute to the inaccuracy. Traditionally, data are binned through a static binning approach by using fixed geomagnetic coordinates, in which the dynamic nature of the forcing is not considered and therefore the forcing patterns may be significantly smeared. To avoid the smoothing issue, data can be binned according to some physically important boundaries in the high-latitude forcing, that is, through a boundary-oriented binning approach. In this study, we have investigated the sensitivity of high-latitude forcing patterns to the binning methods by applying both static and boundary-oriented binning approaches to the electron precipitation and electric potential data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites. For this initial study, we have focused on the moderately strong and dominantly southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. As compared with the static binning results, the boundary-oriented binning approach can provide a more confined and intense electron precipitation pattern. In addition, the magnitudes of the electric potential and electric field in the boundary-oriented binning results increase near the convection reversal boundary, leading to a similar to 11% enhancement of the cross polar cap potential. The forcing patterns obtained from both binning approaches are used to drive the Global Ionosphere and Thermosphere Model to assess the impacts on Joule heating by using different binning patterns. It is found that the hemispheric-integrated Joule heating in the simulation driven by the boundary-oriented binning patterns is 18% higher than that driven by the static binning patterns.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R Series Magnetometer (MAG) observes the vector magnetic field at the spacecraft location as the satellites circle Earth at geostationary orbit. The MAG has specifications similar to previous GOES Magnetometers except with a higher sample rate of 10 samples/s and with the anti-aliasing low-pass filter at 2.5 Hz instead of 0.5 Hz as in previous GOES Series. The GOES-R MAG observations of the geomagnetic field are used to identify and forecast the severity of space weather activity and they can provide one of the first indications that significant space weather has reached Earth. The new MAG space weather products developed for the GOES-R era are the alternative coordinate systems data product, a magnetic field model product, and the automated magnetopause location and crossing detection product. In addition, a 1-min data product is provided for consistency with current GOES Magnetometer products and MAG data are also provided at the full 10-Hz resolution as part of the alternative coordinate systems data product.

Angular response functions are derived for four electron channels and six proton channels of the SEM-2 MEPED particle telescopes on the POES and MetOp satellites from Geant4 simulations previously used to derive the energy response. They are combined with model electron distributions in energy and pitch angle to show that the vertical 0. telescope, intended to measure precipitating electrons, instead usually measures trapped or quasi-trapped electrons, except during times of enhanced pitch angle diffusion. A simplified dynamical model of the radiation belt electron distribution near the loss cone, as a function of longitude, energy, and pitch angle, that accounts for pitch angle diffusion, azimuthal drift, and atmospheric backscatter is fit to sample MEPED electron data at L = 4 during times of differing diffusion rates. It is then used to compute precipitating electron flux, as function of energy and longitude, that is lower than would be estimated by assuming that the 0. telescope always measures precipitating electrons.

We use Van Allen Probes (Radiation Belt Storm Probes A and B, henceforth RBSP-A and RBSP-B) and GOES-13 and GOES-15 (henceforth G-13 and G-15) multipoint magnetic field, electric field, plasma, and energetic particle observations to study the spatial, temporal, and spectral characteristics of compressional Pc5 pulsations observed during the recovery phase of a strong geomagnetic storm on 1 January 2016. From ∼ 19:00 to 23:02 UT, successive magnetospheric compressions enhanced the peak-to-peak amplitudes of Pc5 waves with 4.5–6.0 mHz frequencies from 0– 2 to 10–15 nT at both RBSP-A and RBSP-B, particularly in the prenoon magnetosphere. Poloidal Pc4 pulsations with frequencies of ∼ 22–29 mHz were present in the radial Bx component. The frequencies of these Pc4 pulsations diminished with increasing radial distance, as expected for resonant Alfvén waves standing along field lines. The GOES spacecraft observed Pc5 pulsations with similar frequencies to those seen by the RBSP but Pc4 pulsations with lower frequencies. Both RBSP-A and RBSP-B observed frequency doubling in the compressional component of the magnetic field during the Pc5 waves, indicating a meridional sloshing of the equatorial node over a combined range in ZSM from 0.25 to −0.08 Re, suggesting that the amplitude of this meridional oscillation was ∼ 0.16 Re about an equatorial node whose mean position was near ZSM =∼ 0.08 Re. RBSP-A and RBSP-B HOPE (Helium Oxygen Proton Electron) and MagEIS (Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer) observations provide the first evidence for a corresponding frequency doubling in the plasma density and the flux of energetic electrons, respectively. Energetic electron fluxes oscillated out of phase with the magnetic field strength with no phase shift at any energy. In the absence of any significant solar wind trigger or phase shift with energy, we interpret the compressional Pc5 pulsations in terms of the mirror-mode instability.

Whistler mode waves are important for precipitating energetic electrons into Earth's upper atmosphere, while the quantitative effect of each type of whistler mode wave on electron precipitation is not well understood. In this letter, we evaluate energetic electron precipitation driven by three types of whistler mode waves: plume whistler mode waves, plasmaspheric hiss, and exohiss observed outside the plasmapause. By quantitatively analyzing three conjunction events between Van Allen Probes and POES/MetOp satellites, together with quasi‐linear calculation, we found that plume whistler mode waves are most effective in pitch angle scattering loss, particularly for the electrons from tens to hundreds of keV. Our new finding provides the first direct evidence of effective pitch angle scattering driven by plume whistler mode waves and is critical for understanding energetic electron loss process in the inner magnetosphere. We suggest the effect of plume whistler mode waves be accurately incorporated into future radiation belt modeling.

Since their inception in the 1970s, the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system has monitored the sources of space weather on the sun and the effects of space weather at Earth. These observations are important for providing forecasts, warnings and alerts to many customers, including satellite operators, the power utilities, and NASA’s human activities in space. The GOES magnetometer provides observations of the geomagnetic field, which can be the first indication that significant space weather has reached Earth. In addition, the magnetic field observations are used to identify and forecast the severity of the space weather activity. This paper reviews the capabilities of the GOES-16 magnetometer (MAG) and presents initial post-launch calibration/validation results including issues found in the data. The GOES-16 MAG requirements and capabilities are similar to those for previously flown instruments, measuring three components of the geomagnetic field but with an improved sampling rate of 10 samples/second. The MAG data are low-pass filtered with a 2.5 Hz cutoff compared to the 0.5 Hz cutoff of previous GOES magnetometers. The MAG is composed of two magnetometers, an inboard (closer to spacecraft bus) and outboard (on tip of boom) magnetometer. Presented are the science and instrument requirements, ground and initial on-orbit instrument calibration and data validation. The on-orbit analysis found magnetic contamination along with temperature dependency effects that resulted in unexpected instrument noise and decreased accuracy, with the issues generally more significant on the inboard magnetometer. The outboard sensor was used for initial analysis of MAG performance. Preliminary comparison, excluding arcjet firing periods, between the outboard magnetometer and the GOES-14 magnetometer found a statistical difference of 5 nT at $3\sigma $ for the total field. This comparison does not consider inaccuracies in the GOES-14 magnetometer. Future studies will focus on optimizing the outboard sensor performance.

With the advent of the Heliophysics/Geospace System Observatory (H/GSO), acomplement of multi-spacecraft missions and ground-based observatories to study the space environment, data retrieval, analysis, and visualization of space physics data can be daunting. The Space Physics Environment Data Analysis System (SPEDAS), agrass-roots software development platform (www.spedas.org), is now officially supported by NASA Heliophysics as part of its data environment infrastructure. It serves more than a dozen space missions and ground observatories and can integrate the full complement of past and upcoming space physics missions with minimal resources, following clear, simple, and well-proven guidelines. Free, modular and configurable to the needs of individual missions, it works in both command-line (ideal for experienced users) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode (reducing the learning curve for first-time users). Both options have crib-sheets, user-command sequences in ASCII format that can facilitate record-and-repeat actions, especially for complex operations and plotting. Crib-sheets enhance scientific interactions, as users can move rapidly and accurately from exchanges of technical information on data processing to efficient discussions regarding data interpretation and science. SPEDAS can readily query and ingest all International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP)-compatible products from the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF), enabling access to a vast collection of historic and current mission data. The planned incorporation of Heliophysics Application Programmer's Interface (HAPI) standards will facilitate data ingestion from distributed datasets that adhere to these standards. Although SPEDAS is currently Interactive Data Language (IDL)-based (and interfaces to Java-based tools such as Autoplot), efforts are under-way to expand it further to work with python (first as an interface tool and potentially even receiving an under-the-hood replacement). We review the SPEDAS development history, goals, and current implementation. We explain its modes of use with examples geared for users and outline its technical implementation and requirements with software developers in mind. We also describe SPEDAS personnel and software management, interfaces with other organizations, resources and support structure available to the community, and future development plans.

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves can drive precipitation of tens of keV protons and relativistic electrons, and are a potential candidate for causing radiation belt flux dropouts. In this study, we quantitatively analyze three cases of EMIC‐driven precipitation, which occurred near the dusk sector observed by multiple Low‐Earth‐Orbiting (LEO) Polar Operational Environmental Satellites/Meteorological Operational satellite programme (POES/MetOp) satellites. During EMIC wave activity, the proton precipitation occurred from few tens of keV up to hundreds of keV, while the electron precipitation was mainly at relativistic energies. We compare observations of electron precipitation with calculations using quasi‐linear theory. For all cases, we consider the effects of other magnetospheric waves observed simultaneously with EMIC waves, namely, plasmaspheric hiss and magnetosonic waves, and find that the electron precipitation at MeV energies was predominantly caused by EMIC‐driven pitch angle scattering. Interestingly, each precipitation event observed by a LEO satellite extended over a limited L shell region (ΔL ~ 0.3 on average), suggesting that the pitch angle scattering caused by EMIC waves occurs only when favorable conditions are met, likely in a localized region. Furthermore, we take advantage of the LEO constellation to explore the occurrence of precipitation at different L shells and magnetic local time sectors, simultaneously with EMIC wave observations near the equator (detected by Van Allen Probes) or at the ground (measured by magnetometers). Our analysis shows that although EMIC waves drove precipitation only in a narrow ΔL, electron precipitation was triggered at various locations as identified by POES/MetOp over a rather broad region (up to ~4.4 hr MLT and ~1.4 L shells) with similar patterns between satellites.

A long‐term data set of energetic proton omnidirectional integral fluxes with an 8‐s resolution from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and EUMETSAT MetOp satellites from 1978 to 2014 has been investigated comprehensively to capture the data bifurcations, calibration inconsistency, and some erroneous data. There are two categories of the data bifurcations. The upper and lower branches of both bifurcations can be clearly separated by magnetic local time or by magnetic latitude. The calibration inconsistency of POES and MetOp proton omnidirectional integral fluxes (>16 MeV) is solved by fitting the data from each pair of two satellites using a third‐degree polynomial function. The fitted curve is almost independent of Lm, B/B0, and time in the valid range. By these fitted functions, the >16 MeV proton omnidirectional integral fluxes from other POES and MetOp satellites are recalibrated to the NOAA‐15 measurements that are adopted as the reference standard. Analyses of the recalibrated data at the geomagnetic equator for about 3.5 solar cycles indicate that the maximal and minimal yearly values of >16 MeV proton omnidirectional integral fluxes are in 1987 and in 2002, respectively. By comparisons with the AP8 model predictions, the ratios of the observations in 1987 (in 2002) to the AP8 MIN (AP8 MAX) predictions are mainly within 0.5‐3 (0.1‐2), showing a dependence on Lm and B/B0.