EPPECT · Understanding Energetic Particle Precipitation EffeCTs from near-Earth space to upper atmosphere

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Project objective

EPPECT is an interdisciplinary project that investigates how energetic protons lost from Earth’s ring current during geomagnetic storms impact the upper atmosphere and may influence climate relevant processes. The ring current encircles Earth and is populated by energetic electrons and ions trapped by the geomagnetic field. Storm time variations of the ring current can disrupt satellites, long distance communications, and power grids. Energetic proton precipitation is among the most dramatic variations of the ring current. Protons rapidly lost from the ring current can damage space systems and, when they precipitate into the atmosphere, they increase ionization, produce chemically active species, and can catalyze ozone loss with changes in temperature and winds. Most recent efforts have focused on electrons or on solar energetic protons from rare extreme events. Soft magnetospheric protons below 1 MeV are observed in the upper atmosphere, but their origin and relative impact remain largely unexplored.EPPECT addresses this gap by linking magnetospheric drivers to atmospheric response. We will combine multi satellite observations with physics based modeling to identify energetic proton precipitation, clarify its drivers during storms, and quantify its atmospheric effects. The project integrates inner magnetospheric modeling using VERB4D with the KIT chemistry-climate model to trace the full pathway from proton losses in near Earth space to upper atmospheric response. This proposal will provide a clear picture of where energetic proton precipitation occurs, what is the driver, and how strongly it affects the upper atmosphere, providing new knowledge that is directly relevant to space weather and climate.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• GFZ HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR GEOFORSCHUNG · POTSDAMCoordinatorGermany

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101277252