Interhemispheric Comparison of the Ionosphere-Plasmaphere System (2019-2021)

UTC
Research Building Boardroom (SANSA Space Science, Hermanus, South Africa)

Research Building Boardroom

SANSA Space Science, Hermanus, South Africa

Description

The BEZA-COM project (Interhemispheric Comparison of the Ionosphere-Plasmaphere System) is an international networking project between South-Africa and Belgian for research and technology. It is a three years project starting in January 2019. 

The goal of the BEZA-COM project is to provide inter-hemispheric comparisonof the Ionosphere-Plasmasphere system implying: 

  • A characterisation of the climatological behaviour of the Total Electron Content (TEC) in the I/Ps, over European, South African, Arctic and Antarctica regions. 
  • An identification of the mechanisms that regulate inter-hemispheric differencesasymmetries and commonalitiesin the I/Ps from low to high-latitudes. 
  • A study of the different responses of the I/Ps during extreme solar eventsand induced geomagnetic storms in the two hemispheres.
  • A separation of the ionospheric and plasmaspheric contribution to the TEC.

In November 2019, the first research visit from Belgian team to SANSA was the opportunity to organise a workshop to share the knowledge of each team, to promote the scientific results and discuss the future research plans.