Gareth Chisham

Space Weather Researcher

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Gareth Chisham

Space Weather Researcher

Biography

Profile

I am a Space Weather researcher in the Space Weather and Atmosphere Team at BAS with extensive experience working in upper atmosphere/space science.

My areas of expertise include:

The calibration, analysis and interpretation of SuperDARN HF radar observations of the ionosphere.
Solar wind – magnetosphere – ionosphere coupling.
The effects of space weather on Joule heating and satellite drag.
The use of adaptive co-ordinate systems in ionospheric modelling.

Highlights of my research include:

The use of SuperDARN electric field measurements to remotely sense the rate of magnetic reconnection at the Earth’s magnetopause during different interplanetary magnetic field conditions.
Developing new techniques to accurately identify the open-closed magnetic field line boundary using SuperDARN radar measurements of the ionosphere and spacecraft ultra-violet imager observations of auroral emissions in the ionosphere.
I have 25 years experience in developing models and data analysis products using SuperDARN data, such as new techniques to measure ionospheric vorticity and accurately map SuperDARN observations.

I am presently the PI for the BAS SuperDARN radars located at Halley and in the Falkland Islands.

Research interests

Collaborations

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2024

Mooney, M.K., Forsyth, C., Marsh, M.S., Bradley, L., Finnigan, T., Forde, F., Garrigan, F., Mancini‐Tuffier, C., Mancini‐Tuffier, T., Roberts, E., Vessoni, P., Powell, J., Clark, S., Lao, C.J., Smith, A., Jackson, D.R., Bingham, S., Sharpe, M., Hughes, T., Chisham, G. , Milan, S.. (2024) Evaluating Auroral Forecasts Against Satellite Observations Under Different Levels of Geomagnetic Activity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129 (). 18 pp. 10.1029/2023JA031478

Parker, William E., Freeman, Mervyn , Chisham, Gareth , Kavanagh, Andrew John , Siew, Peng Mun, Rodriguez-Fernandez, Victor, Linares, Richard. (2024) Influences of Space Weather Forecasting Uncertainty on Satellite Conjunction Assessment. Space Weather, 22 (). 19 pp. 10.1029/2023SW003818

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M. P. . (2024) The spatial variation of large- and meso-scale plasma vorticity statistics in the high-latitude ionosphere and implications for ionospheric plasma flow models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129 (). 21 pp. 10.1029/2024JA032887

Thomas, E.G., Shepherd, S.G., Chisham, G. . (2024) Multi‐Frequency SuperDARN Interferometer Calibration [Method]. Radio Science, 59 (). 11 pp. 10.1029/2024RS007957

Walker, S.J., Laundal, K.M., Reistad, J.P., Ohma, A., Hatch, S.M., Chisham, G. , Decotte, M.. (2024) A Comparison of Auroral Oval Proxies With the Boundaries of the Auroral Electrojets. Space Weather, 22 (). 19 pp. 10.1029/2023SW003689

Chisham, Gareth , Kavanagh, Andrew J. , Cobbett, Neil, Breen, Paul , Barnes, Tim . (2024) High-time-resolution analysis of meridional tides in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere at mid-latitudes measured by the Falkland Islands SuperDARN radar. Annales Geophysicae, 42 (). 15 pp. 10.5194/angeo-42-1-2024

Carter, J.A., Dunlop, M., Forsyth, C., Oksavik, K., Donovon, E., Kavanagh, A. , Milan, S.E., Sergienko, T., Fear, R.C., Sibeck, D.G., Connors, M., Yeoman, T., Tan, X., Taylor, M.G.G.T., McWilliams, K., Gjerloev, J., Barnes, R., Billet, D.D., Chisham, G. , Dimmock, A., Freeman, M.P. , Han, D.-S., Hartinger, M.D., Hsieh, S.-Y.W., Hu, Z.-J., James, M.K., Juusola, L., Kauristie, K., Kronberg, E.A., Lester, M., Manuel, J., Matzka, J., McCrea, I., Miyoshi, Y., Rae, J., Ren, L., Sigernes, F., Spanswick, E., Sterne, K., Steuwer, A., Sun, T., Walach, M.-T., Walsh, B., Wang, C., Weygand, J., Wild, J., Yan, J., Zhang, J., Zhang, Q.-H.. (2024) Ground-based and additional science support for SMILE. Earth and Planetary Physics, 8 (). 24 pp. 10.26464/epp2023055

2023

Coxon, J.C., Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Forsyth, C., Walach, M-T., Murphy, K.R., Vines, S.K., Anderson, B.J., Smith, A.W., Fogg, A.R.. (2023) Extreme Birkeland Currents Are More Likely During Geomagnetic Storms on the Dayside of the Earth. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 128 (). 16 pp. 10.1029/2023JA031946

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2023) Separating contributions to plasma vorticity in the high-latitude ionosphere from large-scale convection and meso-scale turbulence. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 128 (). 13 pp. 10.1029/2023JA031885

Lam, M.M. , Shore, R.M. , Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Grocott, A., Walach, M.-T., Orr, L.. (2023) A Model of High Latitude Ionospheric Convection Derived From SuperDARN EOF Model Data. Space Weather, 21 (). 17 pp. 10.1029/2023SW003428

Orr, L., Grocott, A., Walach, M.‐T., Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Lam, M.M. , Shore, R.M. . (2023) A quantitative comparison of high latitude electric field models during a large geomagnetic storm. Space Weather, 21 (). 24 pp. 10.1029/2022SW003301

2022

Chisham, G. , Burrell, A.G., Thomas, E.G., Chen, Y.-J.. (2022) Ionospheric boundaries derived from auroral images. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 127 (). 19 pp. 10.1029/2022JA030622

Coxon, John C., Chisham, Gareth , Freeman, Mervyn P. , Anderson, Brian J., Fear, Robert C.. (2022) Distributions of Birkeland current density observed by AMPERE are heavy‐tailed or long‐tailed. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 127 (). 20 pp. 10.1029/2021JA029801

2021

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2021) A statistical model of vorticity in the polar ionosphere and implications for extreme values. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126 (). 16 pp. 10.1029/2021JA029307

Mooney, M.K., Marsh, M.S., Forsyth, C., Sharpe, M., Hughes, T., Bingham, S., Jackson, D.R., Rae, I.J., Chisham, G. . (2021) Evaluating auroral forecasts against satellite observations. Space Weather, 19 (). 16 pp. 10.1029/2020SW002688

Shore, R.M. , Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. . (2021) Data‐driven basis functions for SuperDARN ionospheric plasma flow characterisation and prediction. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126 (). 18 pp. 10.1029/2021JA029272

Chisham, Gareth , Burrell, Angeline, Marchaudon, Aurélie, Shepherd, Simon G., Thomas, Evan G., Ponomarenko, Pasha. (2021) Comparison of interferometer calibration techniques for improved SuperDARN elevation angles. Polar Science, 28 (). 15 pp. 10.1016/j.polar.2021.100638

2020

Mooney, M.K., Forsyth, C., Rae, I.J., Chisham, G. , Coxon, J.C., Marsh, M.S., Jackson, D.R., Bingham, S., Hubert, B.. (2020) Examining local time variations in the gains and losses of open magnetic flux during substorms. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125 (). pp. 10.1029/2019JA027369

Burrell, Angeline G., Chisham, Gareth , Milan, Stephen E., Kilcommons, Liam, Chen, Yun-Ju, Thomas, Evan G., Anderson, Brian. (2020) AMPERE Polar Cap Boundaries. Annales Geophysicae, 38 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-38-481-2020

2019

Nishitani, Nozomu, Ruohoniemi, John Michael, Lester, Mark, Baker, Joseph Benjamin Harold, Koustov, Alexandre Vasilyevich, Shepherd, Simon G., Chisham, Gareth , Hori, Tomoaki, Thomas, Evan G., Makarevich, Roman A., Marchaudon, Aurélie, Ponomarenko, Pavlo, Wild, James A., Milan, Stephen E., Bristow, William A., Devlin, John, Miller, Ethan, Greenwald, Raymond A., Ogawa, Tadahiko, Kikuchi, Takashi. (2019) Review of the accomplishments of midlatitude Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF radars. Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, 6 (). pp. 10.1186/s40645-019-0270-5

2018

Lam, Mai Mai , Freeman, Mervyn P. , Chisham, Gareth . (2018) IMF-driven change to the Antarctic tropospheric temperature due to the global atmospheric electric circuit. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Research, 180 (). pp. 10.1016/j.jastp.2017.08.027

Chisham, Gareth . (2018) Calibrating SuperDARN interferometers using meteor backscatter. Radio Science, 53 (). pp. 10.1029/2017RS006492

2017

Chisham, Gareth . (2017) A new methodology for the development of high-latitude ionospheric climatologies and empirical models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 122 (). pp. 10.1002/2016JA023235

2014

Longden, N., Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2014) Magnetic local time variation and scaling of poleward auroral boundary dynamics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 119 (). pp. 10.1002/2014JA020430

Lam, Mai Mai , Chisham, Gareth , Freeman, Mervyn . (2014) Solar-wind-driven geopotential height anomalies originate in the Antarctic lower troposphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (). pp. 10.1002/2014GL061421

2013

Lam, Mai Mai , Chisham, Gareth , Freeman, Mervyn P. . (2013) The interplanetary magnetic field influences mid-latitude surface atmospheric pressure. Environmental Research Letters, 8 (). pp. 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/045001

Milan, S. E., Grocott, A., de Larquier, S., Lester, M., Yeoman, T. K., Freeman, M. P. , Chisham, G. . (2013) Traveling ionospheric disturbances in the Weddell Sea Anomaly associated with geomagnetic activity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 118 (). pp. doi:10.1002/jgra.50566

Chisham, Gareth , Freeman, Mervyn P. . (2013) A reassessment of SuperDARN meteor echoes from the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 102 (). pp. 10.1016/j.jastp.2013.05.018

2011

Boakes, P.D., Milan, S.E., Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. , Hubert, B.. (2011) A superposed epoch investigation of the relation between magnetospheric solar wind driving and substorm dynamics with geosynchronous particle injection signatures. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116 (). 12 pp. 10.1029/2010JA016007

2010

Longden, Nicola, Chisham, Gareth , Freeman, Mervyn P. , Abel, Gary A., Sotirelis, Tom. (2010) Estimating the location of the open-closed magnetic field line boundary from auroral images. Annales Geophysicae, 28 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-28-1659-2010

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2010) On the non-Gaussian nature of ionospheric vorticity. Geophysical Research Letters, 37 (). 5 pp. doi:10.1029/2010GL043714

2009

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Abel, G.A., Bristow, W.A., Marchaudon, A., Ruohoniemi, J.M., Sofko, G.J.. (2009) Spatial distribution of average vorticity in the high-latitude ionosphere and its variation with interplanetary magnetic field direction and season. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114 (). 14 pp. doi:10.1029/2009JA014263

Boakes, P.D., Milan, S.E., Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. , Hubert, B.. (2009) A statistical study of the open magnetic flux content of the magnetosphere at the time of substorm onset. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (). 5 pp. doi:10.1029/2008GL037059

Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. . (2009) IMF clock angle control of multifractality in ionospheric velocity fluctuations. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (). 5 pp. 10.1029/2009GL040336

2008

Boakes, P.D., Milan, S.E., Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. , Hubert, B., Sotirelis, T.. (2008) On the use of IMAGE FUV for estimating the latitude of the open/closed magnetic field line boundary in the ionosphere. Annales Geophysicae, 26 (). pp. doi:10.5194/angeo-26-2759-2008

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Abel, G.A., Lam, M. M. , Pinnock, M., Coleman, I. J., Milan, S. E., Lester, M., Bristow, W. A., Greenwald, R. A., Sofko, G. J., Villain, J.-P.. (2008) Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere. Reviews of Geophysics, 46 (). 27 pp. doi:10.1029/2007RG000223

Chisham, G. , Yeoman, T. K., Sofko, G. J.. (2008) Mapping ionospheric backscatter measured by the SuperDARN HF radars – Part 1: A new empirical virtual height model. Annales Geophysicae, 26 (). pp.

Yeoman, T. K., Chisham, G. , Baddeley, L. J., Dhillon, R. S., Karhunen, T. J. T., Robinson, T. R., Senior, A., Wright, D. M.. (2008) Mapping ionospheric backscatter measured by the SuperDARN HF radars – Part 2: Assessing SuperDARN virtual height models. Annales Geophysicae, 26 (). pp. doi:10.5194/angeo-26-843-2008

2007

Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. , Watkins, N.W.. (2007) Investigating turbulent structure of ionospheric plasma velocity using the Halley SuperDARN radar. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 14 (). pp. 10.5194/npg-14-799-2007

Abel, Gary A., Freeman, Mervyn P. , Chisham, Gareth , Watkins, Nicholas W.. (2007) Investigating the turbulent structure of ionospheric plasma velocities on open and closed magnetic field lines. In: Shaikh, Dastgeer, Zank, Gary P. (eds.). Turbulence and nonlinear processes in astrophysical plasmas, Melville, New York, American Institute of Physics, pp. (AIP conference proceedings, ).

Chisham, G. , Lester, M., Milan, S.E., Freeman, M.P. , Bristow, W.A., Grocott, A., McWilliams, K.A., Ruohoniemi, J.M., Yeoman, T.K., Dyson, P.L., Greenwald, R.A., Kikuchi, T., Pinnock, M., Rash, J.P.S., Sato, N., Sofko, G.J., Villain, J.-P., Walker, A.D.M.. (2007) A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions. Surveys in Geophysics, 28 (). pp. doi:10.1007/s10712-007-9017-8

2006

Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. . (2006) Spatial structure of ionospheric convection velocities in regions of open and closed magnetic field topology. Geophysical Research Letters, 33 (). 4 pp. doi:10.1029/2006GL027919

2005

Abel, G.A., Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. . (2005) Comment on “Location of the reconnection line for northward interplanetary magnetic field” by K. J. Trattner, S. A. Fuselier, and S. M. Petrinec. Journal of Geophysical Research, 110 (). 2 pp. doi:10.1029/2004JA010973

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Lam, M.M. , Abel, G.A., Sotirelis, T., Greenwald, R.A., Lester, M.. (2005) A statistical comparison of SuperDARN spectral width boundaries and DMSP particle precipitation boundaries in the afternoon sector ionosphere. Annales Geophysicae, 23 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-23-3645-2005

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Sotirelis, T., Greenwald, R.A.. (2005) The accuracy of using the spectral width boundary measured in off-meridional SuperDARN HF radar beams as a proxy for the open-closed field line boundary. Annales Geophysicae, 23 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-23-2599-2005

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Sotirelis, T., Greenwald, R.A., Lester, M., Villain, J.-P.. (2005) A statistical comparison of SuperDARN spectral width boundaries and DMSP particle precipitation boundaries in the morning sector ionosphere. Annales Geophysicae, 23 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-23-733-2005

Chisham, Gareth . (2005) New proxy for reconnection. Astronomy and Geophysics, 46 (). pp. doi:10.1111/j.1468-4004.2005.46423.x

2004

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2004) An investigation of latitudinal transitions in the SuperDARN Doppler spectral width parameter at different magnetic local times. Annales Geophysicae, 22 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-22-1187-2004

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2004) A statistical comparison of SuperDARN spectral width boundaries and DMSP particle precipitation boundaries in the nightside ionosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 31 (). 4 pp. 10.1029/2003GL019074

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. , Coleman, I.J., Pinnock, M., Hairston, M.R., Lester, M., Sofko, G.. (2004) Measuring the dayside reconnection rate during an interval of due northward interplanetary magnetic field. Annales Geophysicae, 22 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-22-4243-2004

Freeman, M.P. , Chisham, G. . (2004) On the probability distributions of SuperDARN Doppler spectral width measurements inside and outside the cusp. Geophysical Research Letters, 31 (). 4 pp. 10.1029/2004GL020923

Parkinson, M.L., Chisham, G. , Pinnock, M., Dyson, P.L., Devlin, J.C.. (2004) Magnetic local time, substorm, and particle precipitation-related variations in the behaviour of SuperDARN Doppler spectral widths. Annales Geophysicae, 22 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-22-4103-2004

2003

Coleman, Iain J., Chisham, Gareth , Pinnock, Michael, Freeman, Mervyn P. . (2003) Reply to comment by S.M. Petrinec and S.A. Fuselier on ‘An ionospheric convection signature of antiparallel reconnection’. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108 (). 3 pp. 10.1029/2002JA009568

Chisham, G. , Freeman, M.P. . (2003) A technique for accurately determining the cusp-region polar cap boundary using SuperDARN HF radar measurements. Annales Geophysicae, 21 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-21-983-2003

Pinnock, M., Chisham, G. , Coleman, I.J., Freeman, M.P. , Hairston, M., Villain, J.-P.. (2003) The location and rate of dayside reconnection during an interval of southward interplanetary magnetic field. Annales Geophysicae, 21 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-21-1467-2003

Rodger, A.S., Chisham, G. , Coleman, I.J., Freeman, M.P. , Pinnock, M.. (2003) Anti-parallel reconnection at the dayside magnetopause: ionospheric signatures and implications for the low latitude boundary layer. In: Newell, P.T., Onsager, T. (eds.). Earth's low-latitude boundary layer, Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union, pp. (Geophysical Monograph, ).

2002

Chisham, G. , Coleman, I.J., Freeman, M.P. , Pinnock, M., Lester, M.. (2002) Ionospheric signatures of split reconnection X-lines during conditions of IMF Bz < 0 and |By| ∼ |Bz|: Evidence for the antiparallel merging hypothesis. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107 (). pp. 10.1029/2001JA009124

Pinnock, Michael, Chisham, Gareth . (2002) Assessing the contamination of SuperDARN global convection maps by non-F-region backscatter. Annales Geophysicae, 20 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-20-13-2002

Chisham, Gareth , Pinnock, Michael, Coleman, I.J., Hairston, M.R., Walker, A.D.M.. (2002) An unusual geometry of the ionospheric signature of the cusp: implications for magnetopause merging sites. Annales Geophysicae, 20 (). pp. 10.5194/angeo-20-29-2002

2001

Coleman, Iain J., Chisham, Gareth , Pinnock, Mike, Freeman, Mervyn P. . (2001) An ionospheric convection signature of antiparallel reconnection. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106 (). pp. 10.1029/2001JA900084

Chisham, G. , Pinnock, M., Rodger, A.S.. (2001) The response of the HF radar spectral width boundary to a switch in the IMF By direction: ionospheric consequences of transient dayside reconnection?. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106 (). pp. 10.1029/2000JA900094

2000

Chisham, G. , Pinnock, M., Rodger, A.S.. (2000) Poleward‐moving HF radar flow bursts in the cusp: Transient changes in flow speed or direction?. Geophysical Research Letters, 27 (). pp. doi:10.1029/1999GL010760

Chisham, G. , Pinnock, M., Rodger, A.S., Villain, J.-P.. (2000) High-time resolution conjugate SuperDARN radar observations of the dayside convection response to changes in IMF By. Annales Geophysicae, 18 (). pp. doi:10.1007/s00585-000-0191-y

Mann, I.R., Chisham, G. . (2000) Comment on ‘Concerning the generation of geomagnetic giant pulsations by drift-bounce resonance ring current instabilities’ by K.-H. Glassmeier et al., Ann. Geophysicae, 17, 338-350, (1999). Annales Geophysicae, 18 (). pp. 10.1007/s00585-000-0161-4

PRESCIENT
Joule Heating
Space Weather Observatory
SuperDARN
IMAGE Auroral Boundary Data
The Global Electric Circuit
SWIMMR-T
Comment on ‘Concerning the generation of geomagnetic giant pulsations by drift-bounce resonance ring current instabilities’ by K.-H. Glassmeier et al., Ann. Geophysicae, 17, 338-350, (1999)

2020

Space weather monitoring receives funding boost
News 27 June, 2020

2018

SuperDARN (Super Dual Auroral Radar Network) Halley Radar
Facility

Research outputs

Gareth Chisham

Team

General enquiries

Gareth Chisham

Biography

Research interests

Collaborations

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2014

2013

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

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2020

2018