Investigations of Space Weather and the Mesosphere using the TIGER Radar
Entry ID:
ASAC_1246
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Summary
Abstract:
The Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER) is an over-the-horizon radar that locates ionospheric structures in the region between Tasmania and Antarctica, measuring their velocities. Compared with other similar (SuperDARN) radars, TIGER is uniquely sited to detect phenomena occurring in the region equatorward of the normal auroral oval. This project exploits this advantage to ... study the physical processes generating phenomena that are poorly understood, such as sub-auroral convection flows and the regeneration of the plasmapause after magnetic storms. Results are important for developing improved space weather predictions necessary, for example, for communications and satellite navigation systems. The data comes in two forms DAT files and FIT files. The FIT files are reasonably versatile, and smaller, and are stored online, but have not yet made them available outside IPS. Data are available on request to IPS (Kehe Wang), and will be made available via FTP. The radar has been operating since November 1999. Project objectives: The project objectives, as stated in the project application round 2008/09, appear below: The fundamental objective of the TIGER project is to study and understand, crucial outstanding problems in the physics of the outermost part of our environmental envelope (Geospace) - problems that are of scientific importance and fundamental to improving space weather predictions. The TIGER radar will be used to investigate: 1. the dynamics of the auroral oval; 2. sub-auroral convection flows; 3. the dynamics of the plasmapause during sub-storm activity; 4. coupling between the dayside and nightside of the magnetosphere; 5. generation of travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and their propagation to, and energy deposition at, mid-latitudes over Australia; 6. the development of reliable prediction/nowcasting techniques of real benefit to Australian HF users; 7. mesospheric winds; 8. the sea state. TIGER will provide real-time data for: 1. mesospheric winds above the Southern Ocean region; 2. real-time maps of ionospheric convection in the southern hemisphere; 3. surface wind direction across the Southern Ocean. An important new aspect of this proposal is the addition of the second TIGER radar, TIGER/Unwin, that is located near Invercargill, New Zealand, and which will begin operations late 2004. Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report: Progress against objectives: The TIGER radar at Bruny Island has operated continuously for over 95% of the time during the last year. Special campaigns are run for approximately one week each month during SuperDARN Discretionary Time periods, the remainder of the time TIGER operates in synchronism with all other SuperDARN radars during SuperDARN Common Time periods. Data is now transferred via satellite from Bruny to the La Trobe TIGER data server. Data is still backed up on hard disk at the radar site until storage and backup on the TIGER server is confirmed. During Discretionary time special campaign modes have been run to study PMSE, sea-state, micropulsations, and the scattering processes that generate the ionospheric echoes detected by the TIGER radars. Many of these campaigns have been coordinated with similar operations of the TIGER Unwin radar located in NZ and some used the phasing box that swings the TIGER Bruny radar footprint over Macquarie Island to give coincidence measurements with the ionosonde and magnetometer instruments at Macquarie Island. For the 2008-09 summer, arrangements were again made for the all the southern hemisphere SuperDARN radars to operate a Common Time mode most suited to the detection of PMSE. This is particularly important for collaborative PMSE studies with the VHF radar and other instruments at Davis. Several major research projects have been completed and the work published and presented at national and international scientific meetings. This includes projects conducted by other members of the TIGER consortium who are not investigators on this specific project. In the past year results have been published or reported at conferences on the dynamics of the auroral oval; coupling from the nightside magnetosphere to aurora in the Harang discontinuity region, sub-auroral convection flows. Other science topics listed in the objectives have been studied and reported in previous years. Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report: Public summary of the season progress The Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER) is a dual, over-the-horizon radar system that locates ionospheric structures, meteors and sea echoes in the region between Tasmania-NZ and Antarctica. In the last year observations of motions in the auroral and sub-auroral ionosphere have been used to study the evolution of space weather systems and to identify the causes of phenomena not previously understood. Results contribute to improving space weather predictions necessary, for example, to support communications, satellite navigation systems such as GPS and the Jindalee Over-The-Horizon Radar system that provides surveillance of Australia's coastline.
Related URL
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Description:
IPS Online Data Request Form (alternative method to contacting Kehe Wang directly)
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Geographic Coverage
(Click for Interactive Map)
Spatial coordinates
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N: -42.0
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S: -55.0
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E: 160.0
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W: 110.0
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Temporal Coverage
Start Date:
1999-11-01
Stop Date:
2010-03-31
Quality
Values provided in temporal and spatial coverage are approximate only. Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report: Difficulties affecting project: Difficulties have been experienced with the satellite link used to operate the radar and to transfer data from Bruny Island to La Trobe. Some of these problems related to failure of components in the satellite receiving and ... transmitting system at Bruny Island. On occasions this delayed implementing a new monthly operating schedule for the radar however the existing monthly schedule simply continued so the radar was kept operational. No loss of data occurred as a single day's data is transferred in about 2 hours so eventually any backlog of data can be still be transferred once a problem is fixed. Reliability has been restored to the satellite link after replacing failed components. No other major difficulties have occurred apart from the usual one of resources being stretched by the overall decrease in funding for universities. When unexpected difficulties do occur that cannot be fixed remotely from La Trobe, such as occurred with the satellite link, AAD personnel visit the site at short notice. La Trobe staff visit the radar several times a year to carry out routine maintenance. Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report: Field Work: The TIGER radar on Bruny Island continues to operate successfully. It is operated and monitored remotely from La Trobe via satellite link. The aim is to operate the radar continuously and this past year it has operated ~90% of the time. This is less than in recent years as a result of some equipment failures caused primarily by ageing of components and computer systems. These have been replaced. AAD has continued to provide essential support through on-site assistance when required to help diagnose problems that cannot be identified by remote interrogation of the radar from La Trobe, and to fix problems. The field work this past year has consisted of the routine maintenance of the radar and the occasional unscheduled visits to the equipment failures that occurred. 
Access Constraints
Data are available on request to IPS (Kehe Wang), and will be made available via an FTP server.
Data Set Progress
IN WORK
Distribution
Distribution Media:
FTP
Fees:
free
Personnel
Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
+61 3 9479 2735
Fax:
+61 3 9479 1552
Email:
p.dyson at latrobe.edu.au
Contact Address:
Latrobe University
Physics Department
City:
Bundoora
Province or State:
Victoria
Postal Code:
3083
Country:
Australia
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
+61 2 9213 8003
Fax:
+61 2 9213 8060
Email:
LIANNE at IPS.GOV.AU
Contact Address:
IPS Radio and Space Services
Haymarket
P O Box 1386
Province or State:
New South Wales
Country:
Australia
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
+61 3 9479 1433
Fax:
+61 3 9479 1552
Email:
m.parkinson at latrobe.edu.au
Contact Address:
Latrobe University
Physics Department
City:
Bundoora
Province or State:
Victoria
Postal Code:
3083
Country:
Australia
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Email:
K.Wang at bom.gov.au
Contact Address:
IPS World Data Centre
P O Box 1386
City:
Haymarket
Province or State:
New South Wales
Postal Code:
2000
Country:
Australia
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2000-08-11
Last DIF Revision Date:
2012-01-17
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