One of the most relevant impacts of Space Weather on our daily lives is the degradation of satellite navigation signals—such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou—caused by large-scale ionospheric irregularities known as Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs). EPBs correspond to regions where the plasma density (ions and free electrons) is drastically reduced compared to the surrounding ionospheric environment. These irregularities can cause positioning errors in GNSS systems, disruptions in satellite communications, and increased risks for aviation, offshore operations, and activities that depend on space-based technologies. As society becomes increasingly reliant on these services, improving our ability to observe, understand, and predict the occurrence of EPBs has become an urgent scientific and technological priority.
To address these challenges, the series of International Workshops on Equatorial Plasma Bubbles was established. The first workshop took place at Nagoya University, Japan, in 2016, followed by the second at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) in Beijing in 2019, and the third at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) in Mumbai in 2023. Each edition has provided a collaborative platform for scientists to share advances in EPB observations, modeling, forecasting, and their implications for society.
The 4th International Workshop on Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB-4) will be hosted by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, from September 14 to 18, 2026. Building on the legacy of its predecessors, EPB-4 aims to expand the frontiers of observational techniques, advance modeling and simulations of the neutral and ionized atmosphere, and employ artificial intelligence to deliver next-generation EPB forecasts.