☕️📶 F-Layer Café by Steve — January 01 2026
- Steven Brown
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
🌞 Good Day!
Good day friends, as the new year unfolds, we've observed heightened geomagnetic activities influencing both our communication systems and atmospheric phenomena, offering both challenges and a sense of wonder to the scientific community and the curious alike. Over the past month, significant solar activities have painted the skies with occasional auroras and posed challenges for global navigation systems.
📡 Major Space Weather Events
Notable events from the last two weeks
foF1 — G1 to G2 Geomagnetic Storm Watches Issued for Jan 1-3, 2026: NOAA SWPC issued storm watches due to expected impacts from multiple CMEs (coronal mass ejections), potentially affecting ionospheric conditions which are critical for communication systems. Learn more from NOAA.
foF2 — Unprecedented Extreme Depletion of Earth's Ionosphere: A significant study reported a 98% reduction in ionospheric electron density over parts of the Northern Hemisphere, which can disrupt satellite operations and HF communications. This was attributed to changes in the ionosphere's neutral composition and electric field dynamics. Read the full report.
foF3 — R2 Moderate Radio Blackout Observed: NOAA reported a moderate radio blackout due to solar flare activity, impacting communication and navigation systems globally. Check details from SWPC.
☕️🛰️ Research & Defense Highlights
Latest science + DoD focus
Research Shot – The latest advancements in ionospheric modeling were revealed through the NIMO project, integrating SAMI3 and IDA-4D. Validated against existing models, it promises improved accuracy in forecasting ionospheric conditions, crucial for navigation and communication systems. The research, part of the EGU community's initiatives, was detailed in the EGUsphere journal, illustrating the ongoing evolution of space weather prediction models.
DoD Shot – An important AGU study on Sentinel-1's InSAR imaging highlighted ionospheric interference in satellite reconnaissance, stressing the need for enhanced correction techniques amid increased solar activity. This is vital for maintaining accurate surveillance and defense operations. Detailed analyses were provided in the AGU journal, underscoring the interplay between ionospheric conditions and national security.
📡 What’s Coming Up?
Upcoming events present invaluable opportunities for connecting researchers with defense and public sector stakeholders, advancing our collective understanding and preparedness in space weather phenomena.
AGU 2026 Fall Meeting - Space Weather and Ionosphere Sessions, December 14, 2026, San Francisco, CA, organized by AGU.
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NOAA Space Weather Workshop 2026, April 27, 2026, Boulder, CO, organized by NOAA SWPC.
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CEDAR Workshop 2026, June 22, 2026, University venue TBD, organized by NSF CEDAR.
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JHU/APL SEASONS Ionospheric Science Seminar Series - Spring Edition, March 15, 2026, organized by Johns Hopkins APL.
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✨ Stay Connected & Get Involved
We invite you to join the ongoing conversation by sharing your insights, questions, or even photos of recent auroras. Reply to this newsletter or visit our website to submit your contributions. Let's make space weather an engaging and collaborative frontier for all!
📖 Quick Glossary
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) — Large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona, capable of causing geomagnetic storms upon Earth impact. Geomagnetic Storm (G2) — Moderate geomagnetic disturbance (Kp=6) that can degrade satellite operations, power grids, and enhance aurora visibility. Total Electron Content (TEC) — Integrated electron density along a path through the ionosphere, key metric for GNSS signal delay and scintillation. Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) — Two enhanced electron density crests symmetric about the magnetic equator in the F-layer ionosphere. Radio Blackout (R2) — Moderate solar flare event causing HF radio fadeouts on sunlit side, lasting minutes to hours. Sporadic E (Es) — Irregular, dense ion layer at 90-120 km altitude causing VHF/HF radio scintillation, intensified by cooling ionosphere. ΣO/N₂ Ratio — Column density ratio of atomic oxygen to molecular nitrogen, indicator of thermospheric composition changes during storms. Disturbance Dynamo — Ion-neutral coupling generating low-latitude electric fields during geomagnetic storms, altering plasma drifts.
By Steve Brown — Space Weather & SDA Technical Advisor
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