Conveners
APL1 - Space Weather Services and Alerts for End-Users: Bridging Forecasting, Infrastructure, and Communication: Orals - part 1
- Judith de Patoul
- Kasper van Dam (KNMI)
- Francois-Xavier Bocquet (Met Office)
- Mpho Tshisaphungo (South African National Space Agency (SANSA))
APL1 - Space Weather Services and Alerts for End-Users: Bridging Forecasting, Infrastructure, and Communication: Orals - part 2
- Mpho Tshisaphungo (South African National Space Agency (SANSA))
- Judith de Patoul
- Francois-Xavier Bocquet (Met Office)
- Kasper van Dam (KNMI)
Description
Extreme space weather events can severely impact critical infrastructure, from power grids and pipelines to GNSS, aviation, and satellite systems. To reduce risks, it is essential to establish an effective bridge between operational space weather forecasting centers and end-users, one that relies not only on scientific expertise but also on robust systems, service infrastructure, and clear communication channels. This session invites contributions that explore how space weather services are developed, implemented, and delivered to support real-world decision-making. Topics of interest include the design and operation of systems that link forecasting centers to end-users, such as data delivery chains, alert mechanisms, and operational resilience protocols. We also welcome insights into how dissemination standards and procedures have evolved, including tailored alert protocols for sectors like civil aviation, satellite operations, energy, and GNSS. Presentations may address user experiences with accessing and applying space weather information via web portals, APIs, or customized platforms, as well as approaches to enable two-way communication: ranging from impact reporting and feedback loops to co-development of tools and services. Case studies are encouraged that show how coordination between forecasters and users has led to timely mitigation actions during major space weather events. We also encourage reflections on lessons learned from past storms, highlighting how experiences have shaped operational workflows, tools, and partnerships. The overarching aim is to understand how space weather services can evolve to be more integrated, interoperable, and responsive, ensuring end-users receive information that is timely, relevant, and actionable in high-impact scenarios.
On May 10th 2024, the arrival of a series of CMEs led to the largest geomagnetic storm since 2003 and resulted in auroras observed at mid latitudes worldwide as well reported impacts across a range of sectors. This presentation offers a case study of the storm from the perspective of an operational forecaster at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC) over the duration of the...
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) space weather service provides space weather alerts and forecasts for the aviation industry. It is comprised of four global centres: ACFJ (Australia, Canada, France, and Japan), PECASUS (Finland, UK, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Cyprus), SWPC (USA), and CRC (China and Russia). The responsibility for the...
The Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence (STCE) plays an essential role in the Pan-European Consortium for Aviation Space weather User Services (PECASUS), providing specialized space weather services to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The role of STCE is to act as a central data hub for the consortium and to provide 24/7 monitoring of the space weather conditions,...
In Defensie, we have started with a systematic study of space weather (SW) effects on the most SW-vulnerable defence systems to determine the associated SW risks when these systems are used in operations. We will first shortly present this initiative, including its goals and main challenges. An important part of this initiative is creating a bridge between the existing academic knowledge and...
The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) is starting a new space weather training tailored for different user groups with both custom in-person and online options, available on a web based platform for the benefit of the entire community. The training will be based on the U.S. ARSET (Applied Remote Sensing Training) Program’s (Earth Science) significant experience. Training material...
To enhance preparedness for space weather (SWE) events, impact or event-based alerts have been implemented for delivering tailored SWE information via email, SMS and prototype dashboards to four of the ESA SWE service user domains covering ‘Aviation’, ‘downstream Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) services’, ‘Power Systems Operations’ and ‘Satellite Operations’. Since April 2022, over...
We present the new Solar Wind Scoreboard, which is hosted by NASA’s Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) and developed with the community as part of the COSPAR ISWAT initiative. The Solar Wind Scoreboard will serve the space weather and science community as a hub for real-time solar wind predictions at Earth, Mars, and other locations of interest. It will allow users to view the...
The Korea AeroSpace Administration(KASA)/Korea Space Weather Center(KSWC) establishes a national Basic Plan for Space Radiowave Disaster Management every five years. From 2023 to 2027, KSWC is conducting an R&D program to enhance space weather forecasting and mitigation for critical infrastructure in telecommunications and aerospace. The program focuses on two domains: (1) AI- and data-driven...
The goal of this work is to more accurately define the regions that are hazardous to aviation due to space weather related radiation and turn that knowledge into an application that delivers actionable information to users. Our method for achieving these improvements relies on incorporating real time data from a network of dosimeters known as the Responsive Environmental Assessment Commercial...
As part of the Pan-European Consortium for Aviation Space Weather User Services (PECASUS) [1], the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN) traditionally provides global experimental maps of critical frequency of F2 layer (foF2) depression and foF2 depression alerts, calculated in near real-time using data from ionosonde networks. According to the Agreement...
Augura Space has developed the Augura Space Nowcast Platform, an open-access, research-oriented tool designed to support the space weather scientific community by providing centralized access to key space environment parameters in near-real time. The platform consolidates publicly available data from European and international providers focusing on solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field,...
Solar radio bursts are indicators of eruptive events in the solar corona and interplanetary space, but their detection and interpretation from dynamic spectra is complex and requires manual inspection. To support space weather forecasting, an automated classification system based on deep learning (YOLOv5) with ensemble methods was developed and validated on an international dataset covering...
In the regular meteorological forecasts, it is important to provide the public with reliable data and information on the physical phenomena expected, on the technological systems exposed and also to indicate the actions available to the public: go and look at the phenomena or act preventively to face the expected impacts. Complex information needs to be presented in a way that can be...
Space weather events, such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, pose significant risks to technological systems, including power grids, satellite operations, aviation, and navigation systems. In South Africa, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) serves as a central station for monitoring and disseminating space weather information, including warnings and alerts. However, the...
ESA NoM (ESA Network of Models) is a unified data engineering platform that bridges the gap between space weather forecasting centers and end-users through automated model pipelines and standardized alert delivery. Building on its proven capabilities for model integration and collaborative workflows, ESA NoM addresses the critical need for timely, actionable space weather information during...
For several years now, the Space Weather (SWE) Data Centre has been forming the backbone of ESA’s Space Weather data systems. Providing direct access to ESA’s Space Weather datasets from both space-based and ground-based sensors it is a fundamental part of ESA’s Space Weather activities. To keep the data systems secure and to make the data centre ready for future demands and developments, ESA...
Single Event Effects (SEEs) represent a major reliability concern for spacecraft electronics, especially in highly dynamic space weather environments. We present a demonstrator using SEE-U (https://www.space-suite.com/see-u/ ), an open-source tool developed by Artenum in collaboration with ONERA, originally designed to model Single Event Upset (SEU) cross-sections and compute Soft Error Rates...
The Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) network provides a unique global dataset for monitoring ionospheric conditions and their impact on radio communication. Building upon previous studies that demonstrated the potential of WSPR for near-real-time ionospheric monitoring, we present a new system developed at the Space Research Centre PAS that integrates WSPR data with the PRL product to...
Continuous ground-based observations of accelerated electrons are a central element of space weather monitoring and research. Harmful impacts on technological systems are costly and should be reduced in times of rising activity in space. The DLR contributes to this international task by providing reliable radio observations by its own CALLISTO (Compound Astronomical Low frequency Low cost...
This poster presents the results of the End-User Engagement Working Group of the European Space Weather and Space Climate Association (E-SWAN) that were partially obtained through two Topical Discussion Meetings (TDMs) organized during the European Space Weather Week (ESWW) in 2023 and 2024. The meetings focused on fostering dialogue between space weather end-users and service providers.
...
K. Sievers-1, L. Nikitina- 2, R. Fiori- 2
1 VC – Vereingung Cockpit, German Airline Pilots´ Association, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
2 Canadian Hazards Information Service, Natural Resources Canada, Canada.
What’s happening ?
The Sun sometimes releases bursts of energy that disturb Earth’s ionosphere. These disturbances, known as ionospheric scintillation, can impact GNSS...
Extreme historical events in space weather have highlighted the vulnerability of certain infrastructures, ranging from satellite systems and GNSS to power grids. Among the various affected sectors, aviation is especially sensitive to space weather events. In this context, ionospheric scintillations caused by irregularities in the ionosphere can severely degrade GNSS data in equatorial and...
[Abstract:][1] It's a user-friendly portal/gateway which is bundled with multi-Earth observations in which the visualizations are categorized in form of Earth Indicators, Natural Hazards, Environmental Threats, Ecosystem Health and Monitoring Climate. This web app is loaded with 18 Earth Indicators, 18 Geo Maps, 12 Earth Engine Apps, 18 Infographic Data Analysis in Tableau followed by 09...
A primary INTERMAGNET vision, from the outset in the late 1980s, has been to create a global, real-time geomagnetic observatory network – an observation system of Earth and near-Earth Space, capable of providing information that supports operational services for the benefit of society. For space weather applications the global coverage availability in real-time is key to this.
Although many...
Global Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and multi-fluid coronal models are crucial in enhancing our comprehension and prediction of space weather. This study provides new insights into the impact of source and sink terms on a two-fluid model of the partially ionised solar atmosphere and its implications for the dynamics of the solar corona, particularly in the context of space weather forecasting....
IonoNet is a project of a cooperative radar network of multistatic Pseudo Random Code (PRC) ionosondes for oblique ionospheric soundings placed in different points of the European territories; in this way, it will be possible to compare the ionospheric characteristics relative to points separated by about a few hundred to thousands of kilometres. The project activities concern the design,...
The vertical ionogram offers key information about the ionosphere, including critical frequencies, virtual heights, and electron density, which are essential for ionospheric studies. In contrast, oblique ionosondes can probe the ionosphere above areas like oceans or challenging terrain where installing vertical sounders is impractical. They can also generate more ionograms using several...
Space Weather refers to the interaction between the Sun and the Earth's near-space environment and has far-reaching impacts on various technologies. The impact of solar radiation and solar wind on the Ionosphere can affect, for example, the availability and reliability of communication and navigation systems and services. To mitigate these effects, appropriate space weather products/services...
On 28 April 2025 at 12:33 CEST occurred a major power outage in Spain and Portugal. Spain's electrical grid was down for almost 23 hours before the systems were back up. Outage affected traffic light, streetlamps, phone network, domestic and international transport, etc. Next day, information about space weather was requested by ESA and by the Spanish Space Agency to the Space Weather Group at...
The solar radio flux index F10.7 denotes the spectral flux density of solar radiation at a wavelength of 10.7 cm or 2.8 GHz and is the most important parameter for solar activity alongside the sunspot number. F10.7 is also a central input parameter for models of the ionosphere and thermosphere and is therefore relevant for radio communication, navigation and all applications relying on LEO...
To maximise the efficiency of space weather mitigation strategies, forecasting products must not only be accurate and timely but tailored to end-user needs. For understanding and predicting the behaviour of the near-Earth space environment in changing solar wind conditions, physics-based modelling is extremely powerful, though often comes at considerable computational expense, making it...
Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs), with energies from tens of keV to a few GeV, are a significant component of the space environment. They threaten satellite electronics and pose a major radiation hazard to astronauts, and in extreme conditions, they also endanger avionics and commercial aircraft. Therefore, accurate and timely prediction of SEP events is essential for human spaceflight beyond...
The poster shows effects and threats to aviation industry posed by space weather and ways forward to deal with those challenges.
We, the authors, are:
- airline captains
- end users for space wx forecasts
- volunteers, working for years for the radiation protection workgroup of the pilots association of germany (Vereinigung Cockpit) and therefore experts in this field
- fine with being...
Even for identical radiation monitors deployed in space on miscellaneous satellites and operated by diverse providers, their data often reside in separate locations, with fragmented, mission specific formats. They are often distinct from the original, instrument related data acquisition protocols. Therefore, getting access to them generally requires unique specialized software. In addition,...
The ionospheric D-region (60 - 90 km) is responsible for a large part of HF absorption (Zawdie, 2017). It is a variable region, responding to increases in the solar radiation. Real-time surveillance of the D-region is thus crucial to offer real-time alerts in case of solar flares and mitigate their impact on radio communications. However, continuous in situ monitoring of this region is...
Space weather poses a risks to power grids by inducing electric fields in the ground and currents in transmission lines. Monitoring these effects is therefore crucial for power grid operators, enabling them to diagnose problems and, when necessary, take measures to protect the grid. Previous work has modeled the induced ground electric field and currents through the Swedish power grid for...
Solar flares are powerful, sudden bursts of energy from the Sun than can disrupt the Earth’s ionosphere, affecting communication systems. Precisely predicting the duration of the solar flares is important for reducing their impacts on high-frequency radio communications.
This research focuses on developing a Python based analytical tool to estimate solar flare duration using data from the...
Extreme space weather poses a critical risk to infrastructure worldwide. The Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT; Akhavan-Tafti et al., 2023) space mission concept aims to deliver space weather warnings that are up to 40% (20 minutes) earlier and 2.5 times more accurate than existing assets. SWIFT utilizes a flight-ready solar sail to fly a constellation of satellites at a unique...
SPACE IT UP is a program aiming at enhancing the space technology of Italy to be used for space exploration and exploitation for the benefit of planet Earth and the entire humankind. SPACE IT UP has a relevant interdisciplinarity approach, involving different disciplines in renowned Italian Universities, Research centers, Industries and SME’s. The holistic and problem-solving approach...
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has assigned four dedicated global space weather centers that distribute advisories about the space weather conditions that may affect civil aviation. PECASUS, the Partnership of Excellence for Civil Aviation Space weather User Services, is one of these centres and consists of members from Finland, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy,...
After almost six years of Space Weather operational service for the International Civil Aviation Organization, we present a status of the ionospheric scintillation observations based on ground-based GNSS data collected at CLS for the ACFJ global center. Ionospheric scintillation may cause severe impact for many end-users, especially for the aviation industry. Therefore, we focus on regions...
This work reports on the real-time implementation of a local solar proton event forecasting system at the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory - Ahead (STEREO-A) spacecraft, namely STEREO REleASE+. The forecasting uses the finding that relativistic electrons provide the “earliest indication” that a solar particle event has started, arriving at near-Earth distance earlier than protons at...
This fall marked the start of the ESA S2P-S1-SW-21 SWIGPOD project which is devoted to extensively upgrade the GNSS Performance Indicators also taking advantage of the newly introduced ESA SWESNET products.
Space Weather has significant impact on wide range of GNSS-based modern technologies and also critical infrastructures, which is reported mostly during Solar Maxima and accordingly many...
Our increasing reliance on technology vulnerable to space weather effects underscores the urgent need for effective public communication about these phenomena. While scientific research thrives on precise technical language, broader public engagement necessitates a more accessible and memorable approach. This commentary advocates for developing and implementing a standardized nomenclature for...
With research showing that solar storms can have devastating consequences for today's technical infrastructure and due to increased observed effects in various domains including air traffic and critical infrastructure, the importance of space weather is rising.
To investigate on this topic in Austria, the Space Weather Austrian Platform (SWAP) project was founded, forming a national...
We present high-resolution observations of a Type II solar radio burst captured with the Small Phase Array Demonstrator (SPADE). The high frequency/time resolution observations reveal fine-scale spectral structures within the radio signatures of a shock wave, one of the very important space weather phenomenon. Built on software-defined radio technologies, SPADE is a compact eight-element...
The Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence (STCE) plays an essential role in the PECASUS consortium (Partnership of Excellence for Civil Aviation Space weather User Services) providing global space weather services to civil aviation since November 2019. A major task within STCE is to perform 24/7 monitoring of the space weather activity and to generate space weather advisories when specific...
With the recent lay-offs at NOAA, we have to start talking openly about Europe's position when it comes to space weather infrastructure and about the possible consequences of the recent geopolitical shifts. We have been reliant on the US space weather infrastructure for very long and in many instances, do not have alternatives, even when it comes to basic services used for protection of...
