Meetings related to VarSITI in 2019

VarSITI Closing Symposium
June 10÷14, 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria

web-address http://newserver.stil.bas.bg/VarSITI2019/

Dear VarSITI colleagues,

VarSITI, the scientific program of SCOSTEP, is coming to an end. For five years, more than 1,100 scientists from 71 countries have been working on its four scientific projects:

• SEE (Solar Evolution and Extrema),
• MiniMax24/ISEST (International Study of Earth-affecting Solar Transients),
• SPeCIMEN (Specification and Prediction of the Coupled Inner-Magnetospheric Environment), and
• ROSMIC (Role Of the Sun and the Middle atmosphere/thermosphere/ionosphere In Climate)

VarSITI focuses on the recent and expected future solar activity and its consequences for the Earth, over various time scales from thousands of years to milliseconds, and at various locations from the solar interior to the Earth’s atmosphere. In particular, VarSITI focuses on the interconnections in the Sun-Earth system, and encourages the interaction among scientists working on different aspects of this complex system.

It is now time to summarize the results of the program: what progress has been made, what new scientific questions have emerged, what should be the focus of the next scientific program. These will be discussed at the VarSITI Completion Symposium to be held during June 10-14, 2019 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The provisional agenda includes the following sessions:

• Mechanisms of solar variability and its Earth-affecting manifestations;
• Long-term solar variability and its impacts on the heliosphere and the terrestrial system including solar wind, geomagnetic field, and Earth’s climate (Space climate);
• Short-term solar variability and Earth-affecting events, and the reaction of the terrestrial system to solar/heliospheric drivers (Space weather);
• Coupling between the Earth's system and space in case of quiet or active Sun;
• Sun to Earth event case studies;
• Sun-Earth related data: definition, maintenance, archiving;
• The next SCOSTEP scientific program.

The preliminary Scientific Organizing Committee consists of the VarSITI co-chairs and its projects’ co-leaders, plus the leader of the committee for the definition of SCOSTEP’s next scientific program.

All VarSITI members are cordially invited to attend this closing symposium. Please mark your calendars for the period 10-14 June 2019.

Soon the Symposium will have its own web site. The address will be announced by letter and on VarSITI site.