Defining a Program for Space Weather Monitoring

Committee:

Terry Onsager (Chair), Michael Wilberger, Aaron Ridley, Christopher Russel, Jon Linker, Tim Fuller-Rowell, Jeffrey Thayer, Joseph Huba

This workshop has been organized at the request of NSF to examine what we need in a broad space weather modeling program to maintain the momentum that has been made over the last decade and to carry us forward into the future.

Questions that will be addressed include: Is a community space weather modeling program desirable? Is it the right time to start such a program? Are space weather models conducive to the community modeling approach? What is the right balance of elements needed for a community-based space weather modeling program: a grants program, a steering committee, periodic workshops, mechanisms for dealing with issues such as interagency coordination, input/output standards, data standards, validation activities, metrics, model transitioning, version control, model access, etc. If there is a role for a center or centers in these activities, what would be the mechanism for establishing and supporting such a center?

Other questions include: What is the level of effort required? How large a grants program should there be? How much additional cost would be associated with support for a steering committee, workshops, a center, students, visiting scientists, etc? What are the steps ahead? Should there be other workshops, workshop reports, strategic and implementation plans?

The workshop has been organized as series of panels to encourage open discussion and to hear the perspectives of modelers, model users, leaders of group modeling activities, and program organizers.

Click here for the Workshop Agenda