Chapter 30 - Severe Space Weather Events in the Australian Context

Abstract

The Space Weather Services (SWS) section of the Australian federal government is responsible for providing space weather information to the Australasian and surrounding regions while also providing niche services in high-frequency radio to the rest of the world. SWS emerged in 2014 as a successor to the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS), which had been in operation since 1947. Australia is in somewhat of a unique geographic position as a large island continent that has no land borders with adjacent countries. It also has responsibilities extending from the equatorial to polar regions, encompassing approximately one eighth of the world's surface across a wide variety of geophysical conditions. Until very recently it also did not have neighboring countries with approved regional space weather warning centers, and had to exhibit a degree of self-reliance. After the solar cycle 23 maximum, a severe event service was developed to be ready for cycle 24. The service was aimed at technologies that had a high effect threshold for space weather events, with minimal response below the threshold but responses potentially damaging to the system above the threshold. These technologies are power grids, aviation GNSS precision approach, and spacecraft. The nature of what constitutes a severe event for these technologies in the national context will be described, with the services provided and stakeholder mitigation strategies.