BIOSPHERE measurement campaign from January 2024 to March 2024 and in May 2024: Effects of the solar events on the radiation belts, UV radiation and ozone in the atmosphere
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Authors
Pierrard, V.
Bolsée, D.
Winant, A.
Al-Qaaod, A.
Krasniqi, F.
Péters de Bonhome, M.
Botek, E.
Van Laeken, L.
Sapundjiev, D.
Van Malderen, R.
Mangold, A.
Ambrozova, I.
Sommer, M.
Slegl, J.
Geronikolou, S.A.
Georgakilas, A.G.
Dorn, A.
Rapp, B.
Solc, J.
Marek, L.
Oancea, C.
Doppler, L.
Langer, R.
Walsh, S.
Sabia, M.
Vuolo, M.
Papayannis, A.
and Granja, C.
Discipline
Physical sciences
Subject
space radiation
cosmic rays
ultraviolet
ozone
solar event
radiation belts
Forbush decrease
ionization
neutron monitors
health
Audience
Scientific
Date
2025Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
In this work, we analyzed simultaneous observations of solar particles and solar electromagnetic ultraviolet (UV) radiation during solar events from January 2024 to May 2024. Measurement campaigns to study the effects of space radiation on the terrestrial atmosphere were conducted in the framework of the project BIOSPHERE. We show the results of the campaign in Brussels from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024, during which several solar energetic particle (SEP) events were observed by the spacecraft GOES and OMNI, together with two big geomagnetic storms in March 2024 and May 2024 associated with solar eruptions. The last two events combine the arrival of a SEP event with a geomagnetic storm. On 11 May 2024, the biggest geomagnetic storm for the last 20 years was observed. These events enabled us to identify effects due to UV, solar particles, and geomagnetic storms. The impact of these events on the terrestrial radiation belts, illustrated by satellite observations like PROBA-V/EPT and on the atmospheric ozone using AURA/MLS is demonstrated. For the measurement campaign, muon and neutron monitors showed a Forbush decrease only during the geomagnetic storm at the end of March 2024 and in May 2024. Complemented by a simulation of radiation effects on the ionization rate of the atmosphere as a function of the altitude, the extensive range of different observations available during this measurement campaign demonstrated that SEP and geomagnetic storms due to solar eruptions had very different effects on the terrestrial atmosphere. The geomagnetic storms mainly modified the energetic electrons trapped in the space environment of the Earth and affected the ionization of the atmosphere above 60 km. They also modified the cosmic ray injections, mainly at high latitudes, creating Forbush decrease for the most intense ones. SEP events injected energetic protons in the atmosphere that could penetrate deeper in the atmosphere because they had more energy than the electrons. They could impact ozone, mainly at high altitude in the thermosphere. Solar activity variation associated with the rotation of the solar active regions in 27 days modulated UV. The measurements of these electromagnetic and particle radiations are crucial because they have important health implications.
Citation
Pierrard, V.; Bolsée, D.; Winant, A.; Al-Qaaod, A.; Krasniqi, F.; Péters de Bonhome, M.; Botek, E.; Van Laeken, L.; Sapundjiev, D.; Van Malderen, R.; Mangold, A.; Ambrozova, I.; Sommer, M.; Slegl, J.; Geronikolou, S.A.; Georgakilas, A.G.; Dorn, A.; Rapp, B.; Solc, J.; Marek, L.; Oancea, C.; Doppler, L.; Langer, R.; Walsh, S.; Sabia, M.; Vuolo, M.; Papayannis, A.; and Granja, C.; (2025). BIOSPHERE measurement campaign from January 2024 to March 2024 and in May 2024: Effects of the solar events on the radiation belts, UV radiation and ozone in the atmosphere. , AIMS Geosciences, Vol. 11, Issue 1, 117-154, DOI: 10.3934/geosci.2025007.Identifiers
url:
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng