VT SuperDARN site to undergo major changes, expect service interruptions before the end of September - See 'Recent VT News' item (Updated Sep. 5, 2023)

How to Acknowledge use of SuperDARN data
The research enabled by SuperDARN is due to the efforts of teams of scientists and engineers working in many countries to build and operate radars, process data and provide access, develop and improve data products, and assist users in interpretation. Users of SuperDARN data and data products are asked to acknowledge this support in presentations and publications. A brief statement on how to acknowledge use of SuperDARN data is provided in the following link: http://vt.superdarn.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=376(external link) Users are also asked to consult with a SuperDARN PI prior to submission of work intended for publication. A listing of radars and PIs with contact information can be found at Radar Maps/Tables/Links

Welcome to SuperDARN!
SuperDARN stands for Super Dual Auroral Radar Network. The network consists of more than 30 low-power HF radars that look into Earth's upper atmosphere beginning at mid-latitudes and extending into the polar regions. The radars operate continuously and observe the motion of charged particles (plasma) in the ionosphere and other effects that provide scientists with information on Earth's space environment. The knowledge gained from this work provides insight into space weather hazards including radiation exposure for high-altitude travelers and disruptions to communication networks, navigation systems (GPS), and electrical power grids.

The SuperDARN Research Group at Virginia Tech (VT) collaborates with an international community of scientists and engineers to operate radars and share data. The VT Group operates five radars. For a summary of the radars and their affiliations, visit the Radar Maps/Tables/Links web page.

U.S. SuperDARN Collaboration
The U.S. component of SuperDARN is funded by the National Science Foundation under the Space Weather Research (SWR) Program as a collaboration between Virginia Tech (lead institution), Dartmouth College, Penn State University, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). Click logos for access to the web sites of the U.S. partners.


International SuperDARN Collaborators
In addition to the U.S. partners, the SuperDARN collaboration counts many international partner institutions that share an interest in studies of the ionosphere and the relationship between the ionosphere and space weather. Click the logo below for access to the University of Saskatchewan SuperDARN site that features a real-time data display based on links to radars in North America.


Recent VT News

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Recent SuperDARN News

New VT SuperDARN website to replace old website by the end of September 2023

By: miker  on: Tue., Sep. 05, 2023 02:51 PM EDT  (326 Reads)
This website is scheduled to go offline by the end of September, 2023. All services found here will be relocated to the new web site, vt.superdarn.com. As of the date of transition (TBA) the link to this website will redirect the user to the new website. The link to the new website is http://vt.superdarn.com(external link)

Be aware that, over the next several months, there will be interruptions in operations and some of the services on the new website will likely have limited functionality. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for bearing with us through this important transition!

VT SuperDARN Website Transition Taskforce
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Website for the 2023 SuperDARN Workshop in South Africa, May 29 - June 2 now open

By: miker  on: Fri., Feb. 10, 2023 11:49 AM EST  (6860 Reads)
The 2023 SuperDARN Workshop will be held, in-person, in South Africa at a resort in the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site), May 29 - June 2, hosted by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA). The organizers, Michael Kosch and Judy Stephenson, have announced that the Workshop web page is now live and accepting registrations and abstracts:
https://superdarn.ukzn.ac.za(external link)
Although virtual attendance is not possible, presentations may be submitted electronically.

Early bird registration: April 14, 2023
Abstracts deadline: May 1, 2023
Late bird registration: May 1, 2023
Upload video presentations: May 19, 2023

For a synosis of the SuperDARN Workshops, see 'Read More'
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VT SuperDARN Technical News

Seeking undergrad students - Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project

By: miker  on: Fri., Dec. 09, 2022 11:39 AM EST  (988 Reads)
Do you want to be in the shadow of the next two US solar eclipses? We need students for a project sponsored by NASA Space Grant to live-stream the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse from the edge of space. An information session will be held (with light refreshments) on Monday Dec. 12th 3-4pm in Goodwin 145 and on zoom. The project will officially kick-off in January, and no prior experience is required to join the project. Through this project you will learn the fundamentals of high-altitude ballooning and work on the design, assembly, verification, and testing of project equipment including a ground station, Raspberry Pi camera payload, cutdown mechanism, data collection units, tracking systems, and payloads of your own design.

If you think you might be interested in this project but cannot make this time, still fill out the interest form (https://forms.gle/NNJnN4jvhEf26wmu7) so we know to reach out to you before next semester.

We hope to see you at the information session!
Cheers,
Ginny Smith and Kevin Sterne
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DC-VT Crew completes packing of antenna poles and hardware at the Blackstone site for shipment to Iceland

By: miker  on: Wed., June 23, 2021 11:23 PM EDT  (5490 Reads)
Following on a trip earlier this month to prepare the antenna poles meant for a dual radar build in Iceland for shipping, a Dartmouth College - Virginia Tech crew returned to the Blackstone radar site to actually load the poles and related hardware into two shipping containers. The trip took place June 14-16 under difficult conditions of high temperature and sometimes punishing humidity. The PI for the Iceland radar build, Simon Shepherd from Dartmouth College, directed the loading. From Virginia Tech four crew members returned for this trip (Mike Ruohoniemi, Kevin Sterne, Ian Kelley, Mark Higgins) and were joined by undergrad John Fiorini. The photo shows the crew triumphant after loading the second container with antenna base sections. On June 21 Kevin returned solo to the site to oversee pickup of the containers by a trucking company. The hardware is now on its way to Iceland to complete the 4th MSI SuperDARN radar build.
Photo credit: Ned Jones (Virginia Tech Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center)
In photo from left to right: Kevin, Mark, Simon, Ian, Mike, John
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