The new Embrace Magnetometer Network (Embrace MagNet) in South America was conceived by the Embrace Program, having Dr. Clezio Marcos De Nardin as the PI, to investigate the space weather events effect on the Earth’s Magnetic Field in South America. It is originally planned to cover most of the eastern portion of the Southern America longitudinal sector by installing and operating fluxgate magnetometer stations.
This network fills the gap of magnetic measurements available on-line in this sector and aims to provide magnetic data to be used as an estimate of the regional disturbance level caused by the geomagnetic storms driven by the space weather effects, e.g. by developing the South American K (Ksa) index. Besides, a long-term scientific goal is to investigate the trends in the magnetic intensity of the South America Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA) and the implication of its presence in the deviation of the magnetic indices used to monitor the Solar-Terrestrial relationship associated with space weather.
Two recently published papers (see notes below) in the Radio Science Journal describe the network capability and present its scientific potential for space weather forecast and monitoring providing its first scientific findings.
According to Dr. De Nardin, they are “developing a network that covers continental dimensions (50° x 40° in latitude x longitude)”. He says that, by installing a magnetometer network in such a range in the South American sector, Embrace Program ca expect to acquire enough data to help the scientific community to explore whether responses to magnetic storms in the eastern or in the western South American sector are different or similar. However, he highlights that “maintaining such a network requires a lot of effort, including long journeys to carry out repairs or maintenances. Thus, a cooperative pull of institutions (INPE, UNIVAP, ON, UTFPR and UFJ in Brasil, and UNT and UNLP in Argentine) with engaged personnel is essential.”
Link to the articles:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2018RS006540
DENARDINI, C.M.; CHEN, S. S. ; RESENDE, L. C. A. ; MORO, J. ; BILIBIO, A. V. ; FAGUNDES, P. R. ; GENDE, M. A. ; CABRERA, M. A. ; BOLZAN, M. ; PADILHA, A. L. ; SCHUCH, N. J. ; HORMAECHEA, J. L. ; ALVES, L. R. ; BARBOSA NETO, P. F. ; NOGUEIRA, P. A. B. ; PICANÇO, G. A. S. ; BERTOLLOTTO, T. O. . The Embrace Magnetometer Network for South America: First Scientific Results. RADIO SCIENCE, v. 53, p. 1-27, 2018.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017RS006477
DENARDINI, C. M.; CHEN, S. S. ; RESENDE, L. C. A. ; MORO, JULIANO ; BILIBIO, A. V. ; FAGUNDES, P. R. ; GENDE, M. A. ; CABRERA, M. A. ; BOLZAN, M. ; PADILHA, A. L. ; SCHUCH, N. J. ; HORMAECHEA, J. L. ; ALVES, L. R. ; BARBOSA NETO, P. F. ; NOGUEIRA, P. A. B. ; PICANÇO, G. A. S. ; BERTOLLOTTO, T. O. . The Embrace Magnetometer Network for South America: Network Description and Its Qualification. RADIO SCIENCE, v. 53, p. 1-32, 2018.