Salinas' proposal receives funding from UMBC START program

Under UMBC’s Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START) program, the proposal titled “Space Weather Effects on Ionospheric E-region Electron Density as observed by Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation Missions” was selected for funding. The PI is Jude Salinas (613/UMBC), with collaborators Dong Wu (613/NASA), Jae N. Lee (613/UMBC), Nimalan Swarnalingam (675/CUA) and Daniel Emmons (Air Force Institute of Technology). The period of performance is July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.

Dr. Salinas’ research specialty is in atmospheric and space physics, and this encompasses research in both Earth Sciences (atmospheric physics) and Heliophysics (space physics/weather) Divisions. He explained to us that "there is a sub-field that actually combines atmospheric and space physics, called "atmosphere-ionosphere coupling". Wind patterns (e.g. gravity waves, planetary-scale waves) triggered near the surface (e.g., meteorological/terrestrial weather) can actually propagate up to the ionosphere. These winds along with the stronger influence of Earth’s magnetic field can then move ionized species (e.g., electrons) in the ionosphere. This motion isn’t straightforward though because they are governed by the laws of electrodynamics. Hence, some of these movements are actually referred to as "electric currents".  Simultaneously, influence from solar and geomagnetic phenomena also affects these ionized species, albeit mostly through chemical reactions. For a long time, the prevailing theory was that most of the variability in the ionosphere must solely be driven by solar and geomagnetic phenomena because it is just too high for any lower atmospheric influence. But in recent decades and through the help of a number of NASA missions, it has become clear that space weather does involve both solar/geomagnetic phenomena and terrestrial weather." 

The ionosphere is divided into three layers, with auroras in the E- and F-regions (but not D-); additionally, the major source of electrons in the E-region is NO+ and O2+. One of the outstanding issues of space weather is the lack of observations and knowledge of the E-region ionosphere (~90 km to ~120 km) and its response to geomagnetic activity. Through funds from START, the team aims to quantify the climatological average of E-region electron density’s response to the current level of geomagnetic activity. This will be done by analyzing and quantifying the dependencies of E-region electron density on geomagnetic indices as observed by past and current GNSS RO measurements.

Congratulations!