Magnetometer ASCII Data for Kiana, Alaska

Sara Anderson, Alyssa Fajayan, Bob Otsuka, and Andrew PalmerCarson High School

Carson City, NV

Location

• Kiana, Alaska.

• Latitude 66.975.

• Longitude -160.423.

• The elevation is 95 feet.

How to Collect ASCII Data! Go to

http://themis.ssl.berkeley.edu/EPO_Access/

Select your city and the dates you want data for.

Wait for the data to download Your downloaded data has four

columns. The first is the time beginning at .408 sec. after midnight and the last is 86,399.91 sec. after midnight or .09 sec. before the next midnight.

The next three columns are the x, y, and z magnetic field intensities.

Analyzing the ASCII Data. In order to calculate the K

value or the intensity of the magnetic distortion you first must find the range in your x component or ∆x. By subtracting the x min from your x max.

After you have found this you can compare this to the table to evaluate the K value.

Sample ASCII Data Time Z componentX component Y component

B-field InformationB-field Information

► This diagram shows the set-up of the b-field. This diagram shows the set-up of the b-field. In our data, we are measuring disturbances in In our data, we are measuring disturbances in the X component of the B-field.the X component of the B-field.

Z Com

ponent

X Component

Y Com

pone

nt

CME (Coronal Mass Ejections)

• Coronal mass ejections are huge magnetic bubbles of plasma that erupt from the Sun's corona and travel through space at high speeds toward the Earth. When these CME’s reach the Earth, they cause disturbances in the X component of the magnetic field and in turn, they cause auroras.

Data averages for the months of June, July, August, and September.

B-Field or Strength of the magnetic

field in the x direction

k-max or the highest

intensity of the magnetic field

Mean 56,443.0 Mean 5.1

Std 10.2 Std 2.1

Max 56,468.8 Max 9.0

UQ 56,448.6 UQ 7.0

Median 56,443.7 Median 4.0

LQ 56,437.6 LQ 3.0

Min 56,416.0 Min 2.0

Data that supports geomagnetic storms.

(kmax > 4)• On the following dates, we have data that

supports evidence of geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms are a large disturbance in the X component of the B-field and they cause auroras.

• JUNE: 5,6,7,8,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,25,26,27,28,29,30

• JULY: 1,4,5,11,12,13,14,15,17,18,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28

• AUGUST: 5,9,10,11,12,14,17,18,19,21,22

• SEPTEMBER: 14,15,16,18,19,24,28,29

Numerical Data

Yellow represents Days Where the K value was

Larger than 5. The significance of which

means that there was a Geomagnetic storm.

Date B-Field k-max6/1 56442.008 46/2 n/a 46/3 n/a n/a6/4 56430.105 46/5 56429.324 66/6 56424.398 56/7 56415.955 86/8 56426.615 66/9 56429.786 46/10 56428.826 36/11 56434.168 36/12 56432.33 36/13 56435.146 36/14 56432.77 66/15 56420.102 96/16 56416.064 96/17 56455.676 66/18 56430.044 76/19 n/a 36/20 56426.887 76/21 56441.851 96/22 56446.356 46/23 56443.693 46/24 56443.905 36/25 56468.771 76/26 56437.69 86/27 56427.955 76/28 56438.054 66/29 56444.692 56/30 56441.949 5

7/1 56436.51 87/2 56446.614 37/3 56443.1 37/4 56438.435 57/5 56422.362 77/6 56445.314 47/7 56447.98 47/8 56439 37/9 56441.316 37/10 56440.526 47/11 56442.403 77/12 56432.101 97/13 56421.651 87/14 56436.516 87/15 56446.955 67/16 56444.066 47/17 56451.275 57/18 56446.431 57/19 56442.569 37/20 56444.077 47/21 56437.428 87/22 56438.406 67/23 56429.016 97/24 56437.586 77/25 56445.945 67/26 56442.332 57/27 56440.923 67/28 56442.538 67/29 56445.92 37/30 56456.387 47/31 56443.922 3

8/1 56443.696 48/2 56446.89 38/3 56436.933 48/4 56441.98 38/5 56442.177 58/6 56440.887 48/7 56441.037 38/8 56448.946 48/9 56434.878 88/10 56453.382 98/11 56444.415 78/12 56447.766 58/13 56445.095 48/14 56464.564 88/15 56465.952 38/16 56458.874 48/17 56441.335 78/18 56445.312 98/19 56438.247 98/20 56461.888 48/21 56453.002 98/22 56450.675 58/23 56451.274 48/24 56452.223 38/25 56454.842 38/26 56449.324 38/27 56449.594 38/28 56446.646 38/29 56451.807 38/30 56447.951 38/31 56444.352 3

9/1 n/a n/a9/2 n/a n/a9/3 n/a n/a9/4 n/a n/a9/5 n/a n/a9/6 n/a n/a9/7 n/a n/a9/8 n/a n/a9/9 n/a n/a9/10 n/a n/a9/11 n/a n/a9/12 n/a n/a9/13 56450.569 29/14 56444.949 59/15 56432.786 99/16 56446.523 89/17 56459.806 39/18 56448.257 99/19 56440.768 79/20 56459.054 39/21 56451.634 39/22 56458.147 49/23 56452.36 39/24 56454.055 59/25 56447.558 39/26 56451.204 39/27 56447.812 39/28 56442.926 59/29 56454.658 59/30 56442.16 3

K-Max vs. Date

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Date

K-M

ax V

alue

K-Max vs. Date

B-Field vs. Date

56400

56410

56420

56430

56440

56450

56460

56470

56480

Date

B-F

ield

Val

ue

B-Field vs. Date

Spectrograph of a typical day or a day without a geomagnetic storm 9/13/08

Spectrograph of a day with a storm

9/15/08

Kmax ComparisonsOur Calculated K

VsPlanetary K

Date local k-max planetary k-max1-Jun 4 32-Jun 4 23-Jun n/a 24-Jun 4 25-Jun 6 16-Jun 5 37-Jun 8 38-Jun 6 39-Jun 4 2

10-Jun 3 211-Jun 3 212-Jun 3 113-Jun 3 114-Jun 6 515-Jun 9 516-Jun 9 417-Jun 6 318-Jun 7 319-Jun 3 320-Jun 7 421-Jun 9 222-Jun 4 223-Jun 4 224-Jun 3 325-Jun 7 426-Jun 8 427-Jun 7 328-Jun 6 329-Jun 5 330-Jun 5 2

1-Jul 8 22-Jul 3 23-Jul 3 24-Jul 5 25-Jul 7 26-Jul 4 27-Jul 4 28-Jul 3 29-Jul 3 2

10-Jul 4 211-Jul 7 312-Jul 9 513-Jul 8 314-Jul 8 315-Jul 6 316-Jul 4 317-Jul 5 218-Jul 5 219-Jul 3 220-Jul 4 121-Jul 8 222-Jul 6 423-Jul 9 424-Jul 7 425-Jul 6 226-Jul 5 227-Jul 6 428-Jul 6 329-Jul 3 130-Jul 4 331-Jul 3 2

1-Aug 4 22-Aug 3 23-Aug 4 24-Aug 3 25-Aug 5 26-Aug 4 27-Aug 3 28-Aug 4 39-Aug 8 5

10-Aug 9 411-Aug 7 312-Aug 5 313-Aug 4 214-Aug 8 315-Aug 3 216-Aug 4 317-Aug 7 318-Aug 9 519-Aug 9 320-Aug 4 321-Aug 9 322-Aug 5 223-Aug 4 124-Aug 3 125-Aug 3 126-Aug 3 227-Aug 3 228-Aug 3 129-Aug 3 130-Aug 3 231-Aug 3 2

1-Sep n/a 22-Sep n/a 13-Sep n/a 34-Sep n/a 65-Sep n/a 36-Sep n/a 37-Sep n/a 38-Sep n/a 39-Sep n/a 3

10-Sep n/a 111-Sep n/a 212-Sep n/a 113-Sep 2 014-Sep 5 415-Sep 9 416-Sep 8 417-Sep 3 318-Sep 9 319-Sep 7 220-Sep 3 221-Sep 3 222-Sep 4 323-Sep 3 124-Sep 5 225-Sep 3 326-Sep 3 227-Sep 3 228-Sep 5 229-Sep 5 230-Sep 3 3

ConclusionConclusion► Magnetometer data was collected for Magnetometer data was collected for

Kiana, AKKiana, AK► Earth’s magnetic field (B-field) has an Earth’s magnetic field (B-field) has an

x, y, and z componentx, y, and z component Disturbances in the x component were Disturbances in the x component were

measured.measured.► Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are

bursts of plasma that erupt from the bursts of plasma that erupt from the sun’s corona, and travel at high sun’s corona, and travel at high speeds through spacespeeds through space These are responsible for auroras.These are responsible for auroras. These also cause the Geomagnetic storms These also cause the Geomagnetic storms

that we recorded data for by causing the that we recorded data for by causing the charged particles to interact with the charged particles to interact with the magnetic field, which in turn causes magnetic field, which in turn causes detectable aberrations in the magnetic fielddetectable aberrations in the magnetic field

► When a disturbance of 4 or greater When a disturbance of 4 or greater was found in the x component was was found in the x component was found, there is evidence to support a found, there is evidence to support a geomagnetic storm has occurred.geomagnetic storm has occurred.