The Geomagnetic Observatory on Tristan da Cunha: Setup, Operation and Experiences

Jürgen Matzka,Robin Repetto,Claudia Stolle,Alan Berarducci,Bjørn-Ove Husøy,Lars W Pedersen,David Wright,Laszlo Merenyi,Jason J Green,Leo Genin

doi:10.2481/dsj.iaga-22

Abstract

The island Tristan da Cunha is located in the South Atlantic Anomaly, and until recently the area has been one of the largest gaps in the global geomagnetic observatory network. As part of the Danish project SAADAN we set up a geomagnetic observatory on the island. Here we report on how we established the observatory in 2009 and on its operation in 2010.

Highlights

Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, is located in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), which is the largest anomaly of the Earth’s main field with low, and still decreasing, field intensity (e.g., Hulot et al, 2007)
The island Tristan da Cunha is located in the South Atlantic Anomaly, and until recently the area has been one of the largest gaps in the global geomagnetic observatory network
As part of the Danish project SAADAN we set up a geomagnetic observatory on the island

Summary

Introduction

Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, is located in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), which is the largest anomaly of the Earth’s main field with low, and still decreasing, field intensity (e.g., Hulot et al, 2007) Despite this fact, the region has until recently been one of the largest gaps in the global distribution of geomagnetic observatories. We report on the observatory and its first year of operation

Objectives

Conclusion