The following communication was received at the Secretariat from ICSU's Executive Director, J. Marton-Lefèvre.
The following points emerged from the discussion of STEM at the Washington meeting:
The world's energy supplies are mainly based on the use of fossil fuels which are available in limited quantities.
Moreover, their consumption is responsible for a major part of the greenhouse atmospheric warming which is
likely to make our energy system unsustainable before the reserves are exhausted. Energy is thus a possible
candidate for STEM activities. It covers, however, a large variety of different topics such as: fossil fuel
exploration and recovery; nuclear wastes and nuclear safety; renewable energies (solar electric and thermal
technologies, wind, biomass, hydropower...); efficiency of energy use in industry, transport and housing;
decarbonization of flue gases or fuels; carbon dioxide storage; land use. Some of these topics, such as
transport system, imply a close collaboration with engineers and/or social scientists.
The original idea behind STEM was much broader than energy, comprising such key issues, as water resources,
food security, increasing urbanization and megacities. The number of topics which are eligible to become STEM
activities is exceedingly large and the first step should be to select those areas in which ICSU could play a
unique role and take the lead in new research or other types of activities which would not be otherwise undertaken.
Should your organization have a specific proposal to make to ICSU in the STEM area, this should describe:
1. Background. Following discussions at the meetings of the General Committee held in 1994 and 1995, two sets
of recommendations were adopted pertaining to a possible activity of ICSU in the area of energy specifically, or
more generally in the area of Science and Technology for Earth Management. The texts of these recommendations a
reproduced below:
33rd Meeting of the General Committee, Morocco, 1994:
34th Meeting of the General Committee, Thailand, 1995:
2. Strategic Meeting on Science & Technology for Earth Management (STEM), Paris, April 1996.
A long discussion ensued, providing the opportunity for participants to make suggestions of a variety of critical
issues relevant to Earth management, which need further attention by the international scientific community, in
order to carry forward the ASCEND recommendations into concrete actions. These issues may be presented in three
inter-connected categories:
It was noted that many scientists feel a responsibility to become involved in problems concerning Earth
management and that ICSU, because of its independent, multidisciplinary and international nature, has a
unique role to play in this. ICSU should bring together its own vast membership along with its network
of partners to address questions of global concern about the way the Earth's resources are managed. It
was noted however that, should ICSU undertake a leadership role in this area, it needed to do so with its
partners, both the traditional ones, such as UNESCO, but also with new partners, notably economists and
social scientists. In addition, a dialogue should be opened with governmental persons and leaders of industry.
The Group then recommended that ICSU establish a Standing Committee on Science and Technology in Earth Management
(STEM), consisting of individuals appointed by the Executive Board of ICSU. Members of this Committee should be
drawn from the ICSU membership and should also include engineers, social scientists, economists and persons with
expertise in communicating the findings of science to non-scientific publics and in ways of bringing about a
change of attitudes. Care should also be taken to ensure that the members of
STEM come from all of the world's major regions. Additional experts may be co-opted to STEM as the need arises.
STEM would act as the conscience of ICSU in articulating the responsibility of scientists in ensuring that wise
decisions are made about the sustainable use of the Earth's resources. STEM would provide the opportunity for
ICSU to act as a catalyst for appropriate preventive action and to offer the services of the scientific community
to decision makers. In all its actions STEM would involve various disciplines and provide for the bridge between
scientists and technologists, decision-makers and industrial leaders.
STEM would decide upon the priority critical issues to address and examine the state of the art in knowledge
pertaining to the types of areas such as those listed above, in view of ascertaining whether enough is being
done or whether there are obvious gaps which need to be filled. In the case of gaps, STEM would initiate
appropriate actions on a specific topic, either through existing ICSU or other bodies or as a STEM-sponsored
activity, possibly involving industry. In all cases STEM would treat these issues with appropriate urgency,
and ensure that convincing arguments are articulated and heard. The making of a case by STEM would include a
presentation of all of the scientific issues involved, coupled with recommendations for the legal and administrative
infrastructure needed to achieve results.
3. Executive Board Response to STEM Recommendations (May 1996). The Executive Board of ICSU at its May meeting
discussed the report and recommendations of the STEM meeting held here in April and felt that as a large number
of the areas identified by the meeting as needing further attention by the scientific community were either already
being covered by, or fell within the scope of, different ICSU bodies, it was not necessary, at this time, to
establish a new Standing Committee for ICSU. It was agreed that a letter should be sent to those ICSU bodies
which are already carrying out activities in the areas highlighted by the strategic meeting (SCOWAR, DIVERSITAS,
SCOR, LUCC, ISSS, IGBP, WCRP, IUGS, SCOPE, and ACE) giving the background on the STEM meeting and recommendations,
and asking for information on actions already undertaken and on how these could be extended in a proactive manner.
The Board further agreed that the new Executive Board of ICSU should review the question of a more specific ICSU
involvement in the area of energy, which is not already or potentially covered by present activities of member of
the ICSU family.
Are you interested in the data products that now exist or are planned to exist from the investigations on
currently operating space physics missions (solar, magnetospheric, heliospheric)? And whether (and how)
those data are accessible to you?
At the request of the NASA Office of Space Science (OSS), we have constructed and are continuing to coordinate
population of a Web-based "Space Physics Data Availability Catalog." This system is now publicly accessible at
Currently, the catalog includes the ISTP missions (Geotail, Polar, SOHO and Wind) with collaborating GOES and LANL
geosynchronous satellite and ground-based investigations, FAST, IMP-8, Pioneer 10/11, SAMPEX, Ulysses, Voyager 1/2
and YOHKOH. The catalog summarizes data products in several distinct ways (tables and text summaries) with links
as appropriate to data or data services. The catalog pages also include links to all known mission and investigation
home pages. The catalog directly supports submission of updated or extended information for subsequent entry into
the database.
The goal of this effort is creation of an accurate overview of data products being created by NASA-funded
investigations and the degree to which those data products are being made publicly accessible and useful.
Several calls for additional information and review of the contents of the catalog have been issued over the
past months to both projects and individual investigations. While we continue to welcome and strongly encourage
further more complete, comprehensive and up-to-date information from all investigators, the catalog is now being
opened for general community use and review.
At this same time, the NASA Space Physics Data System (SPDS) will be working over the next few months to highlight
those missions/investigations performing well in making their data fully and appropriately available, as well as
any specific issues or areas of concern. The findings of SPDS will be submitted to OSS and are anticipated to be
made subsequently available by OSS for reference as appropriate by other NASA review or advisory groups.
The Space Physics Data Availability Catalog is a joint effort of the NASA GSFC Space Physics Data Facility and the
National Space Science Data Center.
The Stratospheric Research Group (FU Berlin) would like to inform you (and your colleagues) about our new URL:
The NOAA National Geophysical Data Center has converted the catalogue of aurorae found in the monograph "Solar
Activity, Aurorae and Climate in Central Europe in the Last 1000 Years" (Krivsky and Pejml, 1985, 1988), and the
Krivsky Supplement (Travaux Geophysiques, XXXVII (1993-96), 1-21) into digital format. Over 6200 auroral events
from the years 1000 to 1900 are listed in this compilation. Corrections and new data from the Supplement were
added to the original list. This digital conversion work was funded in part by NOAA data rescue funds and by NASA
Space Physics Data System Data Set Preservation and Supply funds.
Helen Coffey
NOAA NGDC developed the Space Physics Interactive Data Resource (SPIDR) Data Base Management System (DBMS) to
assist scientists in searching and browsing extensive digital archives. Recently the cosmic ray neutron monitor
hourly data have been added to this DBMS system. Data include over 1700 station years of hourly value data from
more than 117 stations for the years 1953 to the present.
To browse and plot data, please visit our web site at
NGDC will soon add the one-second digital solar radio USAF Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) event data
to the SPIDR system. Because of limited disk space, NGDC requests input from the community to determine the
time coverage for the on-line data. Data will be loaded by day. One day can contain several Mbytes of data,
so get your preferences in before someone else locks us in to their favorite times!
Please send comments to Helen Coffey (hcoffey@ngdc.noaa.gov) or Eric
Kihn (ekihn@ngdc.noaa.gov).
S. G. Frolov, A. V. Tsoorgaev, Yu. R. Vainberg
Input data come from a ground data network of solar, ionospheric, and geomagnetic observatories. Space data
are received from the network of "Meteor" series satellites. These low altitude satellites are in polar quasi-
circular orbits at 900 - 1,000 km altitude and 104 minute orbit period. Data also are received from the
geostationary "Electro" satellite at 85 deg. E.
"Meteor" satellite data (usually 2 to 3 satellites are in orbit simultaneously) include monitoring of
energetic electrons (E > 0.15, 0.7, 1.5, and 3 MeV) and protons (E > 5, 15, 25, 40, and 90 MeV; and 400
The Base of Current Heliogeophysical Information (BCHI) covers 8-day sets of data since 1992. It includes:
All BCHI data and forecasts can be reached by users via e-mail at the address (geophys@sovam.com)
or over the Gelionet network (60:5020/0@gelionet, tel. 7-095-1877302). The latter gives a client direct
access via modem to the BCHI server. Applied software in MS-DOS operations systems allows any user to look
through the data and forecasts using a hierarchical menu system to request and receive information. Routinely
HC distributes daily by all possible means (mail, telephone, radio, dedicated lines, e-mail, etc.) 43
types of regular messages to 170 addresses. Experiments are in progress to use wireless data broadcast
directly to a client's computer using regular TV (Teletext) and/or HF Radio (Radiotext) signals.
We would like to turn to you with a somewhat unusual request. We know, that some institutions have several
copies of older issues of the journals they receive. Sometimes libraries even get rid of those duplicates
for the sake of space. But this literature could be of much importance and use for others.
During the times of the Soviet Union such editions as JGR, GRL, Planet. Space Sci., J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., J.
Plasma Phys., Phys. Fluids, etc. were not often received in Ukraine. We do not have access to JATP; other
journals are limited in regularity and access is quite difficult. JGR and GRL are available only for selected
months, with multiple gaps.
Everyone working in science knows how important it is to have the references handy. We here at Kiev Shevchenko
University have a team, which works actively in the fields of space physics, plasma physics and satellite data
analysis. We are involved in the Interball mission, APEX, carried out optical observations of CRRES experiments
and work on other problems. We are one of the leading institutions in the future Ukrainian "Warning" project to
study the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere relations. Our less recent works were related to active experiments
in space, solar corona theory and observations, auroral studies, etc. Talented students and post-graduates study
and work at the Department. The level of scientists who studied at the Department is very high, e.g., Prof. E.
Ponomarev at SibIZMIR Russia, Drs. Yu. Taranenko and V. Pas'ko at Stanford, acad. N. Steshenko, Director of
Krimean AO, and many others.
We would be most grateful for any contributions to our library at the Department: older issues of space science
journals, monographs, preprints etc. Names of the contributing institutions will be mentioned in acknowledgments
in any publication where the materials gifted are used. Those persons interested are most welcome to notify us
by e-mail: ivchenko@astrophys.ups.kiev.ua
Beijing, China, October 14-18, 1996
SOLTIP III, sponsored by SCOSTEP, was co-sponsored by the International Astronomical Union, International Center
for Theoretical Physics, and Committee for Space Research. National co-sponsorship was provided by the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Center for Space Science and Applied Research,
and Laboratory of Numerical Study for Heliospheric Physics. Eighty-one papers were presented by the 106 registrants
from 19 countries. Some of the highlights are presented below.
A. Efimov (Russia) discussed the measurement of magnetic fluctuations near the Sun using Helios spacecraft
Faraday rotations; he determined the Alfvenic fluctuations to be of order ÆB/B~0.1. A linkage to high latitude
geomagnetic activity was demonstrated by B. Tsurutani (US) who showed that Bz fluctuations of Alfven waves in
coronal hole high-speed streams can produce higher activity during solar minimum than during solar maximum.
There were extensive discussions of remote solar wind sensing using interplanetary radio scintillations by M.
Kojima (Japan), Z. Xiao (PRC), N. A. Lotova (Russia), V. Balasubrumanian (India), P. K. Manoharan (India), and
K. R. Submarmanian (India.) Of particular interest is the use of multi-IPS observatories, using velocities, to
build up tomographic images that could, in the future, be compared with 3D MHD models.
Some very recent results from SOHO were presented in summary form by K. R. Lang (US) who showed the Sun in its
quiet "textbook" state at the present solar minimum prior to Cycle 23. Coronal mass ejections, northern and
southern polar plumes within the high latitude coronal holes, and high resolution spectroscopy results were
shown by D. J. Michels (US), G. Poletto (Italy), and K. F. H. Wilhelm (Germany.) The picture of stagnant
plasma within "closed" helmet structures was completely changed when it was discovered (D. J. Michels, N. R.
Sheeley, Jr., US) that continuous streaming takes place through the heretofore-believed "closed" cusp structure
as predicted by Suess et al. (US.)
The objective of analyzing full sets of data during the STEP period was fulfilled for SOLTIP Intervals 1
(March 1991) and 5 (February and April 1994.) The latter period was discussed in detail by I. S. Veselovsky
(Russia) and T. Watanabe (Japan) for two 3D effects at ULYSSES. The first event in April 1994 was a YOHKOH
(only) observed helmet streamer disruption. ULYSSES similarly observed forward/reverse shocks in both cases,
and Earth experienced strong geomagnetic activity in both cases. The earlier SOLTIP Interval in March 1991,
with multiple solar flares that penetrated a complex heliospheric current/plasma sheet configuration, was
examined within the 2-1/2 D MHD context by D. Odstrcil (Czech Republic), M. Dryer, and Z. Smith (US.) Their
video showing the compound shocked structures led E. Flueckiger (Switzerland) to propose a solution for a
previous, one-hour, mysterious GV proton flux enhancement on the Earth's dusk-midnight sector during a Forbush
decrease on 24 March 1991. H. S. Ahluwalia (US) also discussed the steady-state cosmic ray modulation in the 3D
heliosphere as summarized by K.-P. Wenzel (The Netherlands.)
The solar and interplanetary shock problem was discussed within the "blast" and "piston-driven" context by V. G.
Eselevich (Russia) who used both observational and similarity theory to delineate these two general classes of
shocks. The issue of solar shock "survival" and electron acceleration was discussed by J.-L. Bougeret (France)
within the context of type II and Type III radio bursts in the ground-based metric and WIND and ULYSSES radio
kilometric ranges. Recognizing the gap from about the ionospheric 25 MHz cutoff to about 2-10 MHz available on
ULYSSES, he summarized several controversies: (1) Are the Type III relativistic electron bursts only associated
with shocks, or are they actually accelerated in situ by the shocks? (2) Are the Type II metric shocks generated
in the lower corona, the same as those measured via kilometric drifts in the interplanetary medium or do they decay,
to be replaced by separate CME-generated shocks? It was clear that these questions are subsidiary to the "solar
flare myth" controversy wherein the proponents maintain that solar flares play no fundamental role in the
generation of CMEs. This view appears to be in the process of rejection.
The issue of particle acceleration at shocks was advanced by B. Sanahuja, D. Lario, and A. M. Heras (Spain)
who showed that their empirical model, using 2D MHD, can now be extended up to 100 MeV protons. Their ideas
were supported by M. A. Shea and D. F. Smart (US) who discussed a dual-stage injection scenario during solar
flares for protons up to relativistic energies. Modulation of energetic magnetic particles inside and outside
of propagating magnetic clouds was also described, within the context of both 2D and 3D MHD models, by M. Vandas,
S. Fischer, and D. Odstricil (Czech Republic.)
Details of interplanetary reconnection were discussed by F. S. Wei and Q. Hu (PRC) as examples of the growing
MHD numerical program being conducted by our Chinese colleagues who organized the meeting details, all of which
were smoothly and graciously arranged.
Finally, SOLTIP was invited by the Chinese Journal of Space Scienct to publish the Proceedings in a first-time,
all-English volume. This invitiation is presently under advisement since a monetary source would have to be
identified. Additional information is expected to be posted on the Web at either http://www.lhp.ac.cn or
http://www.expi.com
Murray Dryer
October 28-30, 1996
Jim Burch
January 17-18, 1997
The working group on recurrent storms reviewed Joe Kunches' recipe for storm forecasting at SEC (see
International STEP Newsletter, December 1996) and discussed questions raised by Joe as well as comments
received from SHINE members in response to e-mail circulation of the recipe. Most comments recommended
focused efforts to transition models from researchers to forecasters. SHINE members agreed, as discussed
at length at the Workshop itself, that the transition phase is a bottleneck because no agency funds efforts
that are applied rather than basic space science. Models nearing the transition stage were presented, and
enthusiasm was expressed for trying them out in SEC's meagerly funded but developing rapid prototyping
(transitioning) center.
The working group on transient events heard presentations on recent research concerned with predicting magnetic
field orientations in CMEs and magnetic clouds and predicting CMEs from X-ray and white light observations.
Several members then led discussions on specific events, including the now famous Jan. 6-10
CME/magnetic cloud/storm identified by the ISTP community, and made plans for further collaborative research.
Additional information about SHINE, including the list of research areas in need of support, can be found at
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/~vpizzo/shine.
Nancy Crooker
Baltimore, MD, May 27-30, 1997
We are continuing our efforts to gather data and information for the event; please direct contributions to
one of us at the email addresses listed below. All relevant material available to date is accessible from the
event home page at URL:
Plans are also underway to follow up the AGU session with a special issue of Geophysics Research Letters.
For additional information, contact:
Mauricio Peredo
GRL will publish a special issue on the topic of coronal heating and solar wind accelerations.
SOHO (and other) observational results will be welcome as well as new theories of coronal heating and
solar wind acceleration. In addition to the GRL special issue, a special session on the same topic will
be held at the spring AGU meeting in Baltimore. This has been arranged with Ed Roelof, Secretary for
Solar and Heliospheric Physics.
Bruce Tsurutani and Art Poland
On behalf of the organizing committee we would like to invite you to present either a contributed talk or a
contributed poster paper to this special session. The session has been divided into the following topics:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 20-22, 1997
The aim of this Conference is to bring together managers, scientists and policy makers to discuss current knowledge
of and predictive capabilities for atmospheric composition, to define the near-term requirements for global
measurement systems, and to begin developing a framework for more comprehensive systems in the future. It is
intended to stimulate interaction between three groups of people: those who plan and conduct large space-based
experiments, those who are involved in other large scale measurement programs both as planners and experimenters,
and modelers.
Preliminary Topics. Space-based Measurements, Upper Atmosphere Measurements, Lower Atmosphere Measurements,
Calibration and Validation, Modeling, Data Assimilation, Policy Issues, Future Requirements and Possibilities.
Nizhny Novgorod/Volga River, Russia
The purpose of these biennial Summer Schools, organised jointly since 1993 by the Radiophysical Research
Institute (NIRFI) Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and the Uppsala Division of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics
(IRFU), Uppsala, Sweden, is to give an insight into the common scientific problems of contemporary space plasma
physics and plasma astrophysics by bringing together experienced researchers, young scientists and scholars in
astrophysics, space physics and plasma physics for a fruitful exchange of ideas across interest, language,
culture and age barriers.
The topics covered at these Summer Schools include linear and nonlinear plasma physics, waves and radiation
phenomena in plasma, waves in random media and turbulence, ionospheric, magnetospheric and heliospheric plasma,
solar and stellar coronal plasma, space and astrophysical plasma under extreme conditions, space plasma radio
emission, radio and radar methods for investigating space, ionospheric modification, and the use of the Earth's
ionosphere and magnetosphere as a space plasma laboratory for model experiments which simulate phenomena in other
plasma environments.
The regular sessions will be in the form of general lectures and tutorial talks. In addition, participants are
welcome to submit abstracts if they so wish. Their accepted contributions will be presented in special oral or
poster sessions. Onboard we will have a temoprary Radiofizika/Radio Physics and Quantum Electronics editors
office and a referee group, so that it will be possible to have your paper submitted, reviewed, edited and
accepted for publication in Radiofizika by the time you disembark the ship.
Montreal, Canada, July 13-18, 1997
SCOSTEP Colleagues -- In these NLs we will sometimes announce sessions of IAGA and/or ICMA in Uppsala that
take place on the same days as the 9th Quadrennial STP Symposium. Of course, the Secretariat is most concerned
that we have full participation in the STP Symposium. However, because we have decided to encourage submission of
contributed STP papers to appropriate sessions of the IAGA and ICMA symposia, it may be important for their
announcements to be circulated among our community. Also, our STP Symposium sessions are mostly half-day during
the first week (Wednesday is the exception), so that afternoon participation in the other sessions is always
possible. If you know now about the opportunities for schedule planning, perhaps it will help to make good use
of limited time and many choices in Uppsala.
Uppsala, Sweden, August 4-5, 1997
The time is ripe to join our efforts conducted in various fields ranging from observations, theoretical and
data-based modeling, and numerical simulation studies to satellite anomaly studies and other practical applications.
The session is open for all aspects relevant for space weather studies. The session will last for two full days,
and will consist of invited and contributed talks and poster sessions. For additional information contact: Tuija
Pulkkinen (tuija@kitron. colorado.edu).
Uppsala, Sweden, August 9, 1997
Despite the considerable progress over the past two decades in our understanding of the Earth's bow shock
(and by inference collisionless shocks in general), together with related phenomena upstream (the foreshock)
and downstream (the magnetosheath), many questions remain. Multi-point measurements, such as those to be provided
by Cluster-II and/or other mission constellations, will be able to address the role played by the shock curvature,
non-planar sub-structures and non-steady inhomogeneous environment extending from the foreshock boundary to the
magnetopause. These aspects are important in mediating and effecting particle transport and acceleration,
(re)distribution of thermal energy and momentum amongst sub-populations, waves, instabilities and turbulence,
and other processes. This symposium will concentrate on these dynamic 3-D considerations. Papers containing
observations, analysis techniques, and related theoretical/simulation efforts are invited. For additional
information contact: S. J Schwartz (s.j.schwartz@qmw.ac.uk).
Uppsala, Sweden, August 9, 1997
Uppsala, Sweden, August 11, 1997
Uppsala, Sweden, August 12, 1997
Uppsala, Sweden, August 14 (pm) - 15 (am), 1997
Uppsala, Sweden, August 14-15, 1997
Uppsala, Sweden, August 15, 1997
Prague, Czech Republic, August 18-22, 1997
The first Workshop was held in the Castle of Liblice near Prague in the spring of 1989 with Proceedings
published in the Handbook for MAP, Vol. 29 (1989.)
For additional information and Pre-registration Form contact: Jan Lastovicka (jla@ufa.cas.cz)
or SPA home page under Meetings Calendar. The URL is http://igpp.ucla.edu/spa/.
Moscow, Russia, October 7-9, 1997,
Objectives of the Workshop: The exciting new results obtained during the last years show that the study of Earth's
radiation environment is far from being completed. New modern methods of radiation environment modeling should be
developed. Models of cosmic rays and Earth's radiation belts need to be improved to provide more reliable and
accurate estimates of radiation environment effects on spacecraft elements during future missions. At the Workshop
we plan to outline the different ways to achieve these tasks.
Session Topics: Physical Radiation Belt Modeling; Empirical Radiation Belt Modeling; Galactic and Solar
Cosmic Rays Modeling; Radiation Environment Impact on Spacecraft; and Magnetospheric Magnetic Field Modeling.
For additional information and Preliminary Registration Form contact: Mikhail Panasyuk, Workshop
Chairman, (panasyuk@srdlan.npi.msu.su); Tel/Fax (7 095) 939-5034.
National MST Radar Facility, Gadanki/Tirupati, India December 10-13, 1997
Hotel Ashok, Bangalore, India, December 15-20, 1997
The major topics of MST8 deal with radar scattering processes in the atmosphere and ionosphere, winds, waves and
turbulence in the lower and middle atmosphere, meteorological phenomena and applica-tions, such as wind profilers,
boundary layer radars and net works, as well as major scientific, technical and signal processing achievements and
highlights from the MST radar facilities of the world.
The Workshop is sponsored by SCOSTEP, URSI and The Department of Space (DOS), Government of India. The
International Steering Group consists of S. Fukao (Japan), M. F. Larsen (USA), C.H. Liu (China-Taipei), A.P.
Mitra (India) and J. Röttger (Sweden.) The local organization is under the direction of P. B. Rao
(National MST Radar Facility, India) and S. C. Chakravarty (Indian Space Research Organization.) Anyone
interested in attending MST8 should contact Dr. Chakravarty at the address shown in the previous item.
March 13-17: Fifth International School for Space Simulations, Kyoto, Japan. Contact: H. Matsumoto (isss@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp)
You may recall that a background paper on a possible ICSU activity in Science and Technology for Earth Management
(STEM) was presented to the 25th General Assembly of ICSU. You are also reminded that the Assessment of ICSU
suggested that "ICSU should be an incubator of entrepreneurial activities at the nexus of interdisciplinary,
international scientific activities. It should generate essential new scientific programmes and sound advice
on science to guide policy formulation." Any further work on STEM would be in keeping with this recommendation.
ICSU Secretariat is 1 June 1997.
FOR EARTH MANAGEMENT
Energy: The General Committee requests that the position paper on energy be completed and that it form the basis
for a small meeting to be organized in 1995 with the participation of experts to be nominated by the various
relevant Unions. The involvement of social scientists, particularly economists and technologists and transportation
experts, was encouraged. Recommendations of a possible programme for ICSU in energy might emerge from this meeting. The 34th meeting of the General Committee would make a recommendation of follow-up action, if any.
Science and Technology for Earth Management: Having heard interesting proposals for possible future ICSU actions
in physical and human aspects of managing the earth system, such as energy, the control of greenhouse gases, and
nuclear waste disposal, the General Committee requests the Executive Board to convene a strategy meeting involving
persons with appropriate expertise, in order to determine the proper role of ICSU in the arena of earth system
management with particular emphasis on the three cases mentioned above.
In response to these recommendations, the Executive Board convened a brainstorming meeting to determine a role
for ICSU in this area. This meeting was held in April 1996 and participants began by recalling that in 1991, as
a part of its role as science adviser to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, ICSU convened a
meeting on "An Agenda of Science for Environment and Development into the 21st Century (ASCEND 21.) ASCEND
21 stressed a new commitment on the part of the international scientific community as a whole to work together
so that improved and expended scientific research, and the systematic assessment of scientific results, combined
with a prediction of impacts, would enable policy options in environment and development to be evaluated on the
basis of sound scientific facts. Furthermore, ASCEND 21 forcefully asserted the responsibility of science to
provide independent explanations of its findings to individuals, organizations and governments. It is in this
context that ICSU, whose principal objective is "to promote international scientific activity in different
branches of science and their applications for the benefit of humanity", has discussed the need to address
issues pertaining to societal concerns relating to a prudent or sustainable Earth management.
Bob McGuire
mcguire@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
We offer interesting, unique and valuable information about our research activities concerning the stratosphere
and related topics, e.g:
For additional information or comments, please contact:
Tassilo Kubitz, Stratospheric Research Group
(Director: Prof. K. Labitzke), Institut fuer Meteorologie,
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Carl-Heinrich-Becker-Weg 6-10
12165 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49-30-838 71 173; Fax: +49-30-793 17 85 e-mail: kubitz@strat01.met.fu-berlin.de
The data are available via anonymous ftp (ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov
and cd /STP/SOLAR_DATA) or via the worldwide web at
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/SOLAR/solar.html.
NGDC thanks the authors for their kind permission to make these valuable data available on-line. Please refer to
their papers for further information about this database. Inhomo-geneities are discussed and correction factors
suggested (when using forty year sums for the period 1000-1479 multiply by factor 14.3, for 1480-1559 by factor
6.2, for 1560-1719 by factor 3.1, no adjustment after 1720.)
NOAA NGDC, hcoffey@ngdc.noaa.gov
COSMIC RAY HOURLY DATA
NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE
Click on the cosmic ray icon. Downloading data capabilities will be available shortly. The availability of
these data is the result of NOAA and NASA data rescue efforts, as well as extensive efforts by the World Data
Center C2 for Cosmic Rays, Japan (Dr. Watanabe.)
DATABASE OF THE HELIOGEOPHYSICAL CENTER
Institute of Applied Geophysics, Moscow, 129128 Russia
E-mail address: geophys@sovam.com
At present, only some selected sensors on "Electro" are processed more or less regularly.
The list of FSU ground ionospheric and magnetic observatory data available in BCHI is shown in the following table.
Two stations (Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod -- formerly Gorky) supply measurements of solar radio emissions.
A special software system of HC provides not only data collection and processing, but also generates various
forecasts, namely: real-time, short-time (1-3 days), middle-term (5-7 days), long-term (27-31 days) and superlong
(>31 days) for different heliogeophysical processes and events.
List of ionospheric (I) and magnetic (M) observatories
available in the IAG database.
1993 1994 1995 1996
Station I M I M I M I M
Moscow + + + + + + + +
Rostov + +/- + +/-
Cape Shmidt +/-
Dixon + + + + +/-+ + +
Loparskaya + +/-
Izvestiya Island +/- + +
Arkhangelsk +/- +/-
St.Petersburg + + + + + + + +
Novosibirsk + + + + + + + +
Tomsk + + + +
Podkamennaya
Tunguska + + + + + +/- +/- +/-
Ekaterinburg
(Sverdlovsk) +/- +/- + +/-
Salekhard + + + +
Magadan + + + + + + + +
Khabarovsk +
Petropavlovsk
(Paratunka) + + + + +/- + +/- +
Uelen +/- + + + + + +/-
Tashkent + + + +
Ashkhabad + + +/- +/-
Kaliningrad + + + +
Preobrazheniya Is. +/- +/- +/- + +/-
Krenkel (Heiss Is.,
Kheysa Is.) + + + +/-
Cape Chelyuskin
(Chelyuskin) +/- + +/- +/-
Tiksi (Tixle) + + + +/-
Murmansk + + + +
Uedinenlya Island +/- + +
QUEST FOR OLD ISSUES OF
GEOSCIENCES JOURNALS AND BOOKS
Dr. Vasyl Ivchenko
Chief, Department of Astronomy and Space Physics
Physics Faculty, Kiev Shevchenko University, Kiev, Ukraine
MEETING REPORTS
SOLTIP III SYMPOSIUM ON SOLAR AND INTERPLANETARY TRANSIENT PHENOMENA
SOLTIP (Solar Connection to Transient Interplanetary Processes) is Project WG-2.1 of STEP. Its objective is to
foster interdisciplinary research on the linkage of the Sun to the magnetosphere via physical processes in the
interplanetary medium. Previous symposia were held in Liblice, Czech Republic, 30 September - 5 October 1991,
and Nakaminato, Japan 13-17 June 1994. Proceedings were published under the editorship of S. Fischer and M.
Vandas (SOLTIP I) and T. Watanabe (SOLTIP II.) The latter proceedings include a two-solar cycle summary of
activities ("SOLTIP: Past, Present, and Future" by M. Dryer) that gives a long-range view of progress in this
field.
Chairman, SOC, SOLTIP III, Co-Chair, SOLTIP
The second Sun-Earth Connection Roadmap Workshop was held at JPL on October 28-30, 1996. With the
incorporation of material generated at the Workshop, the Roadmap is nearing completion. While still
under construction, the Roadmap web site at http://espsun.space.swri.edu/~roadmap/index.html contains
the latest information. Please check the material and respond with any suggestions to Bill Lewis at
grl@swri.edu.
(jburch@swri.edu)
The grass-roots SHINE group, concerned with sources of space weather in the Solar, Heliospheric and INterplanetary
Environment, met on January 17-18 at the NOAA Space Environment Center (SEC) in Boulder, in conjunction with the
Space Weather Workshop. The group compiled a list of research and modeling areas that need immediate support for
advancing space weather predictions from the Sun to Earth (L1), and will forward the list to NSF to serve as a
guideline for proposal selections.
crooker@buasta.bu.edu
JANUARY 1997 MAGNETIC CLOUD EVENT UPDATE
As many of you know, the Sun-Earth Connections event observed by the ISTP and collaborating spacecraft and
ground-based investigations has received a great deal of worldwide attention in the media (an extensive list
of media coverage of the event is available from the event web page referenced below.)
We wish to alert the wider space physics community to several upcoming activities to further the correlative
analyses of this event. A special session on the event is now planned for the Spring 1997 AGU; it will be part
of session SM01 on "Simultaneous Observations from Solar-Terrestrial Missions: Event Analysis." We encourage
all members of the solar, interplanetary, magnetospheric and ionospheric physics communities to join in the
study of this event, and to participate in the special session.
Barbara Thompson (thompson@eitv3.nascom.nasa.gov)
Nicky Fox (nicola.fox@gsfc.nasa.gov)
Mauricio Peredo (peredo@istp1.gsfc.nasa.gov)
peredo@istp1.gsfc.nasa.gov
(btsurutanI@jplsp1.jpl.nasa.gov)
For additional information, contact: James Green (green@ nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov) or Mauricio Peredo
(peredo@ istp1.gsfc.nasa.gov).
GLOBAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS FOR ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION
Introduction. The realization that the chemical composition of the atmosphere is changing on a global scale has
far reaching implications for the health of the environment and the future of human society. This leads to a
requirement that many nations participate in assessing the current state and trends of the chemical state of
the atmosphere. This requires in turn the assembly of global measurement systems for atmospheric composition.
For information: gomac@atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca
or http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/gomac
May 22- June 3, 1997
We cordially invite you to participate in the Third Volga International Summer School on Space Plasma Physics,
onboard a comfortable ship cruising on the majestic Volga river through scenic and culturally fascinating parts
of Russia. The board and lodging will be provided onboard, with accommodation in air-conditioned cabins with
private bathrooms.
The deadline for abstracts is 15 April 1997.
Attendance is granted on a first come/first served basis and is limited to about 200. The earlier Summer
Schools in 1993 and 1995 attracted about 130 and 170 participants, respectively. For additional information,
please contact the organizing committee (Lev M. Erukhimov and Bo Thide) by e-mail at iss97@nirfi.sci-nnov.ru.
You may also visit the ISS97 WWW home page at http://www.wavegroup.irfu.se/Volga97/.
The session will focus on modeling of the coupled thermosphere/ionosphere system. Possible topics include studies
or simulations of the electric field, electrojet generation and modification, dynamo generation and effects, and
effects of the lower atmosphere on the ionosphere, such as those due to gravity, tidal, or planetary wave
perturbations. Studies which seek to explain the day-to-day variability in the thermosphere/ ionosphere
system are also of great interest. For additional information contact: C. G. Fesen (fesen@tides.utdallas.edu).
SPACE WEATHER: MODELS, NEAR REAL-TIME MONITORING AND PREDICTIONS
The interest for prediction of the dynamical state of the magnetosphere has both a strong scientific motivation
and a practical need: the test for models describing the magnetospheric plasma dynamics is in their predictive
capability. On the other hand, the need for ensuring continuous operation of spacecraft orbiting the Earth is
vital as they run activities important for our daily lives.
NOTE: This Symposium will be coordinated and collocated with the Saturday sessions of 3.01 (2.07, 4.11)
Plasma Processes at the Earth's Magnetopause and their Ionospheric Effects to focus on the outer magnetosphere/solar
wind interaction. In view of the unavailability of Cluster data, papers not directly involved with multi-spacecraft
analyses and issues will also be considered.
This symposium will consider all aspects of the generation and propagation of ULF waves, from the lowest-frequency
MHD waves to waves in the ion cyclotron frequency range, including associated effects on particle populations.
Papers which emphasize comparisons between theory and observations are strongly encouraged. For additional
information contact: A. A. Chan (anthony-chan@rice.edu).
SHOCK WAVES IN THE HELIOSPHERE
Scientific discussions will be focused on the principal aspects of the turbulence and shocks in the inner
and outer heliosphere: sources, structure and evolution, sinks. Theoretical and computer models, experimental
and observational works and their intercomparison can be considered. Inter-disciplinary links and
applications are very important. Among them are the solar wind heating and acceleration problem, dynamical
processes in the solar wind source region, in the interaction region with the interstellar medium and bodies
inside the heliosphere: planets, especially Earth, comets etc. Diagnostic tools include direct measurements
in space, interplanetary scintillations, optical and radio emission, energetic particle observations, effects
in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, geomagnetic manifestations and others. The list of subjects is not complete
and intend only to call your attention to the problems of the Working Group IV.2. For additional information,
contact: I. S. Veselovsky (veselov@ dec1.npi.msu.su).
This symposium will focus on observational studies and theoretical models of the discrete aurora and auroral
accelerators. Topics of interest range from magnetospheric generators to plasma microphysics and include
large-scale sheared flows, auroral electron acceleration and parallel electric fields, transverse ion
acceleration, and solitary structures such as MHD waves, double layers, and lower hybrid cavities. All
contributed papers in this symposium will be given at a poster session. All oral presentations will be
by invitation. For additional information contact: S. Derr (sarah@space.ualberta.ca).
The main problems in Geomagnetism and Aeronomy research in Developing Countries will be presented and discussed.
It is desirable that practical solutions for these problems will be considered under international cooperation.
Reports about important advancements obtained in the last few years are welcome and contributions on recent
scientific results and future prospects are solicited. For additional information:
http:// www.irfu.se/iaga_97.html or contact the Conveners:
Prof. .Luiz Muniz Barreto, Observatorio Nacional, Rua Gen. Bruce, 586, 20921-400 Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
FAX: +55-21-580-3782 e-mail: barreto@obsn.on.br
Dr. A. A. Ashour Dept. of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Cairo, Egypt
FAX: +20-2-57-27556 e-mail: asghour@frcu.eun.eg.
The purpose of this symposium is to provide scientists the opportunity to present their work on the magnetospheres,
ionospheres and atmospheres of planets, their moons and comets. Papers dealing with both observational and
theoretical results are encouraged. There will be a number of invited review presentations, but the bulk of
the available time is expected to be devoted to contributed presentations of new and relevant observations and
calculations. For additional information contact: A. F. Nagy (anagy@umich.edu).
The purpose of this symposium is to review all aspects of the acceleration of anomalous cosmic rays. The
efficiencies of acceleration of pick-up ions during their convection to the outer heliosphere by the processes
of Alfven-wave turbulence, transit time damping, and traveling interplanetary shocks (CIRs) should be discussed
and compared. Studies of the injection and acceleration of ions at the solar wind termination shock, including
the processes of Fermi and shock-drift acceleration, should be presented, and shock spectra resulting from theory
should be compared with observations. For additional information contact: A. C. Cummings
(ace@citsrl.srl.caltech.edu).
The Workshop will be held at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, just after the
IAGA/ICMA/ SCOSTEP Assemblies in Uppsala. It will cover the effects of solar electromagnetic radiation
(solar cycle, solar rotation, and other time scales), solar wind (including geomagnetic storms), and high
energy particles on the middle atmosphere and to some extent on the troposphere and the lower ionosphere.
Problems of distinguishing between long-term solar and anthropogenic effects and other long-term changes
(e.g., volcanic) will be included. Related invited papers about solar radiation, particles, geomagnetic storms
and external long-term changes are foreseen.
The Workshop will be hosted by the Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University under the
auspices of Moscow State University, Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian Space Agency, and follows up the
annual conferences devoted to Space Radiation Environment Empirical and Theoretical Models, which took place at
Dubna (Russia, 1993), Taos (New Mexico, USA, 1994), Brussels (Belgium, 1995) and Noordwijk (Netherlands, 1996).
Preceding the 8th Workshop on Technical and Scientific Aspects of MST Radar (MST8) (see next item),
SAR will be held in India. The program content for this School includes several invited tutorial lectures by
eminent scientists attending the MST8 and extensive hands-on training for the participants. Interested young
scientists from developing countries, preferably under 35 years of age. For more details on this School,
contact Dr. S. C. Chakravartyat: Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan,
New BEL Road, Bangalore 560 094 India. Telephone: +91-80-3416271; Telefax: +91-80-3419190; E-mail:
scc@isro.ernet.in.
ON TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS
OF MST RADAR (MST8)
The International Workshop on MST radar, held about every two years, is a major event drawing together
experts from all over the world who are engaged in or want to learn about research and development of radar
techniques to study the mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere (MST) and ionosphere, as well as scientific
results from those studies. The meeting also offers excellent opportunities to young scientists, research
students and new entrants to the field for close interactions with the experts on all technical and scientific
aspects of MST radar.
1997
April 21-25: Solar and Heliospheric Physics at EGS97, Vienna, Austria. Contact: R. Marsden (rmarsden@estec.esa.nl)
April 21-25: Pioneers in STP During the 19th and 20th Centuries, Vienna, Austria. Contact: W. Schroder, Geophysical Station, Hechelstrasse 8, D- 2877 Bremen-Roennebeck, Germany.
April 28-May 4: IAU Colloquium 167: New Perspectives on Solar Prominences, Aussois, France. Contact: David Webb (webb@plh.af.mil)
May 12-16: Profiler Workshop, Engelberg, Switzerland. Contact: (pws@atmos.umnw.ethz.ch)
May 20-22: IGAC/SPARC Conference on Global Measurement Systems for Atmospheric Composition, Toronto, Canada. Contact: IGAC-GOMAC (gomac@atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca)
May 22- June 3: Third Volga International Summer School on Space Plasma Physics, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Contact: L. M. Erukhimov (le@nirfi.sci-nnov.ru)
June 23-27: Eighth EISCAT International Workshop, Leicester, UK. Contact: K. Bowers (kathleen@ion.le.ac.uk)
July 13-18: North American URSI Meeting, Session G2: Modeling of Thermospheric-Ionospheric Feedbacks, Montreal, Canada. Contact: C. G. Fesen (fesen@tides.utdallas.edu)
August 3: S-RAMP Steering Committee, Uppsala, Sweden
August 3: STEP Steering Committee, Uppsala, Sweden
August 4-5: IAGA Session 2.12/3.11/4.06/5.06: Space Weather Models, near Real-Time Monitoring and Predictions, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: T. Pulkkinen (tuija@kitron.colorado.edu)
August 4-8: Ninth STP Symposium, Uppsala, Sweden
August 4-8: IAMAS Middle Atmosphere Symposium, Uppsala, Sweden
August 4-14: Conference on Global Change and History of Geomagnetism, Geophysics and Aeronomy, during IAGA Scientific Assembly, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: Dr. Wilfried Schroder, Geophysical Station, Hechelstrasse 8, D-2877 Bremen-Roennebeck, Germany.
August 4-15: IAGA Assembly, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: IAGA Secretariat (iaga@irfu.se)
August 9: IAGA Symposium 4.05: Foreshock, Bow Shock and Magnetosheath: The Multi-Spacecraft Perspective, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: S. J. Schwartz (s.j.schwartz@qmw.ac.uk)
August 9: IAGA Session 3.07: Generation and Propagation of ULF Waves, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: A. A. Chan (anthony-chan@rice.edu)
August 9 and 12, SCOSTEP Bureau. Contact for this and the following SCOSTEP meetings and STP Symposium in Uppsala: J. H. Allen, SCOSTEP Secretariat (jallen@ngdc.noaa.gov)
August 10: SCOSTEP General Council, Uppsala, Sweden.
August 11: IAGA Division IV Working Goup IV.2 Meeting Turbulence and Shjock Waves in the Heliosphere., Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: I. S. Veselovsky (veselov@dec1.npi.msu.su)
August 11-15: ICMA, Uppsala, Sweden
August 12: IAGA Session 3.10 Physics and Microphysics of the Discrete Aurora, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: S. Derr (sarah@space.ualberta.ca)
August 14-15: IAGA Symposium 2.10/3.01/411 Planetary Magnetospehres, Ionospheres, and Atmospheres, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: A. F. Nagy (anagy@umich.edu)
August 14-15: IAGA Session 7.02 Geomagnetism and Aeronomy in Developing Countries, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: L. M. Barreto (barreto@obsn.on.br)
August 15: IAGA Session 4.03: From Pick-up Ions to Energetic Particles: The Acceleration of Anomalous Cosmic Rays, Uppsala, Sweden. Contact: A. C. Cummings (ace@citsrl.srl.caltech.edu)
August 18-22: IAGA/ICMA Workshop on Solar Activity Effects on the Middle Atmosphere, Prague, Czech Republic. Contact: J. Lastovicka (jla@ufa.cas.cz)
October 7-9: Workshop on Space Radiation Environment Modeling: New Phenomena and Approaches. Contact: M. Panasyuk (panasyuk@srdlan.npi.msu.su)
December 10-13: School on Atmospheric Radar (SAR), Bangalore, India. Contact: S. C. Chakravarty (scc@isro.ernet.in)
December 15-20: Eighth Workshop on Technical and Scientific Aspects of MST Radar (MST8) and School on Atmospheric Radar (SAR) Bangalore, India. Contact: S. C. Chakravarty (scc@isro.ernet.in)
1998
March 9-13: Fourth International Conference on Substorms, Lake Hamana, Japan. Contact: S. Kokubun (kokubun@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp)