Geomagnetic Observatories

Since a long time a global network of geomagnetic observatories is the backbone of studies concerning the field sources in the Earth's core, ionosphere and magnetosphere. Moreover, the data are used for models and maps with practical applications, and the determination of magnetic activity indices for space weather monitoring.

Since 1992 the GFZ has been operating the Adolf-Schmidt-Observatory for Geomagnetism in Niemegk, which offers a data series back to 1890 together with two predecessors. Over the recent years we have installed modern digital equipment at traditional observatories and established new observatories in remote locations in international collaborations. Eight of these are already members of
INTERMAGNET, where high data quality is required and from where the global data are available nearly in real-time.

The continuous recordings of the geomagnetic observatories are supplemented by so-called repeat station surveys on well-defined locations in time intervals of 1 to 2 years.





 

* provisional identification