Geospace Cluster (AGS-GC)

The National Science Foundation's Geospace Cluster supports fundamental and solutions-oriented research, technology development, and education related to the Earth's near-space environment. This includes the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, exosphere, magnetosphere, and radiation belts, as well as the inner heliosphere and solar atmosphere. The Geospace Cluster advances knowledge of the Sun-Earth system, including how various parts of the system are coupled through dynamical, electrodynamical, and chemical processes. Some specific research topics supported by the Geospace Cluster include aeronomy, magnetospheric physics, solar-terrestrial physics, and space weather and space climate. • Aeronomy: studies of wave dynamics, ionization, recombination, chemical reaction, photo emission, and transport of energy and momentum within and between the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere of the Earth. • Magnetospheric physics: studies of the magnetosphere, its energization by the solar wind, and population by solar and ionospheric sources. • Solar-terrestrial physics: studies of how energy generation and eruptive processes occur in the solar atmosphere and how energy and momentum are transported within the Sun-Earth system. • Space weather and space climate: studies of solar or terrestrial drivers of space weather, observations and modeling of the integrative geospace system, and characterization of space weather impacts on critical infrastructure and technological systems.