Magnetic observations at Geophysical Observatory Paratunka IKIR FEB RAS: tasks, possibilities and future prospects

Abstract

Continuous magnetic measurements at Geophysical Observatory “Paratunka” (PET) of IKIR FEB RAS are performed since 1967. In the new millennium analogue magnetometers were modernized to digital, the technologies of absolute observations were changed, the data processing was completely transferred to computers, and the status of INTERMAGNET observatory was obtained. Currently, the observatory uses the following magnetometers: (a) for absolute observations – DIflux LEMI-203 (theodolite 3T2KP) and Mag-01 (theodolite Wild-T1), Overhauser magnetometers POS-1 and GSM-19W; (b) for variation measurements – fluxgate magnetometers FGE-DTU, FRG-601 and MAGDAS (installed under international agreements of IKIR), vector magnetometers dIdD GSM-19FD and POS-4 with Overhauser sensors and coil systems, scalar magnetometer GSM-90 and induction magnetometer STELAB. During Spring-Autumn season dIdD also is installed at remote station “Karymshina” at distance of 15 km from Observatory. There is monitoring system for monitoring of conditions in which magnetic observations are performed, including the semi-professional weather stations Davis Vantage Pro2 and WS2000 and a network of digital temperature sensors DS19B20 located at various points in magnetic pavilions and outdoor. All measurements are synchronized with the UTC. The results of observations are collected by the IKIR data server from the recorders and loggers, including in real-time. Specialized software was developed (based on MATLAB and Octave packages), which allows automatic and semi-automatic processing of data, the comparison of the results from different magnetometers and presenting final data in formats, defined by international standards, including INTERMAGNET. Significant efforts of observatory staff are direct to archive (raw) magnetic data, a significant part of which has not been entirely processed, is not presented in international data centers and is still not available to the scientific community. Digital images of analog magnetograms have been obtained, the digitization of which allowed to fill the gaps in the hourly data available in the WDC for 1991, 1996-1997. The state of the set of the instruments and databases shows that the observatory “Paratunka” can solve most of the problems that arise in the geomagnetic field researches, including the provision of data for the development of regional and global field models, ground support of magnetometers located on satellites, support of the surface (sea) and aeromagnetic surveys and drilling, providing the data for researches of processes in the lithosphere, magnetosphere and ionosphere over a wide frequency range, and also for a number of applied problems.