Space Weather monitoring and research with new ground-based monitoring capabilities during the maximum of Solar Cycle 25

Kurzfassung

By reaching the maximum of solar cycle 25 the influence of space weather is becoming increasingly visible, with phenomena like radio bursts, solar flares and geomagnetic storms occurring more frequently and also with impact on technical systems. Therefore, we have set up a ground-based space weather observation system to continuously monitor the actual space weather situation and related conditions in the upper atmosphere. The system combines a CALLISTO receiver to track solar radio bursts in the frequency range from 10 to 1,600 MHz covering HF, VHF and L-band spectrums, a VLF GIFDS receiver for solar flare detection as well as a high rate GNSS receiver for monitoring ionospheric scintillations. The prototype system is being operated at the Multi-instrument Ionospheric Radio observation Array (MIRA), a measurement field at the DLR site in Neustrelitz, to conduct the final testing and performance analysis. The expansion to other locations in Europe and worldwide in cooperation with partner institutions is intended and it will further increase the coverage. In this presentation, we will show the system’s benefits for space weather research and services based on the analysis of the latest events from the maximum of solar cycle 25.