Received on Jan 20, 2018
Huixin Liu

Vertical coupling mechanisms throughout the whole atmosphere are critical to understanding the near Earth space environment, as well as its sensitivity to the solar, geomagnetic, and atmospheric drivers. This international session focuses on physical/chemical processes occurring in the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere (MTI) from both the poles to the equatorial region. Both quiet and disturbed states in response to lower atmospheric forcing or solar forcing are important for understanding the MTI system and its coupling to other regions. We invite presentations of observations and observational concepts with ground-based and/or space-borne instruments, theoretical studies, numerical simulations, and development of data analysis systems for various kinds of temporal and spatial variations in MTI system.

Under the extreme terrestrial weather conditions the average climatic conditions are seriously deviated. Among the severe terrestrial weather events, of particular interest, are tropical cyclones which are the most devastating weather systems affecting Asia, Oceania and the world. Space weather events such as geomagnetic storms and solar flares have significant impact on increasingly sophisticated ground- and space-based technological systems. Both extreme terrestrial and space weather events can also seriously affect the sub- and trans-ionospheric communications and other highly relied upon technologies. The atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) that manifest themselves as traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) may be associated with extreme terrestrial and space weather events and can seriously affect the ionosphere. The changes in the ionosphere, particularly under severe space weather conditions, seriously affect the performance of the global positioning system (GPS) and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

In this session, we solicit contributions on experimental observations, empirical and theoretical modelling studies, and forecasting efforts, concerning terrestrial and space weather events impact on the lower ionosphere (D-region) and the upper ionosphere (F-region) using various ionospheric measurement techniques (radio wave, optical, in-situ); such as Ionosonde, GNSS/GPS, VLF and LF radio waves, remote sensing and radio occultation operations, airglow, interferometers, probes and detectors. Papers dealing with monitoring and the characterization of ionospheric scintillation and irregularities and their influences on GNSS signals, GPS meteorology missions such as COSMIC, AGWs/TIDs generation/propagation and ionosphere, and relevant topics, are also welcome.

Space weather at the Earth and at other solar-system objects is the result of the Sun’s influence, often through large explosions of energy (e.g. flares) or large eruptions of material (e.g. coronal mass ejections - CMEs). However, during the current solar cycle (Cycle 24), much of the space weather at Earth has resulted from the solar wind itself, particularly from equatorial high-speed streams, their interactions with the slow solar wind, and also their interactions and channelling of CMEs. This session solicits abstracts on space-weather effects, particularly geomagnetic storms at Earth, that are not caused by CMEs. In addition, abstracts covering space-weather effects recorded on other solar-system bodies not due to CMEs are also welcomed. The work may cover the implications for Cycles 24 and 25, implications for modelling efforts, outcomes from data and models presently available, and additional/future observations/measurements requirements.

Big Data analytics is an emerging field percolating into every other field beginning from cloud storage to stock market fluctuations to the many sub branches of sciences. Atmospheric, space and earth sciences are no exception with huge amounts of data flowing in from satellites, networks of ground stations, models and reanalyses. Many of these datasets, in addition to having a basic science inquisitiveness appeal to the research-oriented mind, are also interesting many socio-economical groups. Data investigations, analysis, pattern finding, data curation, visualization, sharing, querying are all a huge question in today’s world where data inflow rate is very high, thereby demanding more efficient tools to address and utilize the large amounts of data for the benefit of mankind.

The session invites all researchers from atmospheric, space and earth sciences to present their work with Big Data. All aspects related to data analytics methods and tools, Big Data solutions, Big Data processing, visualization, sharing, querying, and results obtained from these studies involving Big Data are all welcome. Researchers in these areas are invited to come together to discuss future directions in utilization of Big Data in space, atmospheric and earth sciences for the benefits of mankind like natural disasters & management and regional and space weather forecasting.