A new geomagnetic observatory on Lombok island, Indonesia, was inaugurated on April 10. This collaboration with the University of Mataram, Indonesia, is the 15th geomagnetic observatory operated or supported by GFZ within a global network.

The globally distributed stations complement satellite measurements to provide continuous recordings of the geomagnetic field with its sources internal and external to Earth. Investigations of the internal sources are important to understand long-term changes of our magnetic shield against solar wind and cosmic rays. External magnetic field data are a valuable contribution to space weather monitoring. Due to its location in south-east Asia the new observatory fills a previous gap in the global ground station network. Moreover, its location close to the equator will provide important contributions to study, e.g., the long-term evolution of the magnetic equator.