magplots and conjugate_map: Two Python Libraries for Visualizing Conjugate Ground Magnetometers

• Main Authors: Collins, Kristina, Salzano, Michelle
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2024
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12801807

The polar regions are valuable observing platforms in geospace science, because their magnetospheric and ionospheric conditions are markedly different from conditions in the midlatitudes. Geomagnetic conjugate points in the northern and southern hemispheres – i.e., points connected by magnetic field lines – affect one another’s space weather conditions on the order of minutes. Space weather in Antarctica, therefore, influences and is influenced by space weather in the northern hemisphere, as observed in, e.g., auroral conditions and radio propagation. Geomagnetically conjugate ground magnetometers are an integral tool for the investigation of interhemispheric asymmetries. However, the geomagnetic conjugate relationship is not straightforward to visualize with many common mapping tools, due to the ubiquity of midlatitude-oriented map projections and the drift of Earth's magnetic field over time. Here, we present two Python libraries to facilitate observations with conjugate magnetometers: magplots, which presents tools for time domain, spectrogram, and wave power estimation, specifically for conjugate magnetometer data; and conjugate_map, which facilitates calculation and mapping of multiple instrumentation networks, including ground-based instruments, radars and satellites. These tools may be used to streamline interhemispheric investigations and highlight regions of potential interest for future deployments.