WAMNET network
The West African Magnetometer NETwork (WAMNET) is a network of three magnetometers located in Mali and Ivory Coast.
The WAMNET project aimed at providing high-quality vector magnetic data in the equatorial region, as a complement of the global INTERMAGNET observatory network.
These data allow to study the equatorial electrojet, a thin layer of electrical current flowing along the magnetic dip-equator at an altitude of 110 km during day-time, an important component of Earth space weather.
WAMNET data have been used for computing ionospheric electric field and compare with the Equatorial Electric Field Model (EEFM) [Alken et al. 2013].
WAMNET data are also used for scientific studies related to the ESA Earth Explorer mission Swarm [Alken et al. 2015, Astafyeva et al, 2018].
The WAMNET project was funded by the French Space Agency (CNES).
WAMNET data
Each station is made of a three-axis fluxgate magnetometer installed in a thermally insulated building.
Data were acquired every 1s between February 2009 and November 2015, earlier they were acquired every 1 min.
| Station id | Location | Lat (N) | Lon (E) | Installation | Data available up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAK | 13.297 | -4.887 | |||
| SAM | 11.394 | -5.625 | |||
| KOR | -5.626 |
Due to the current political situation in the area where WAMNET stations are installed, it has not been possible to perform the needed maintenance and upgrades of these stations, therefore the project ended.
References:
Astafyeva, E., I. Zakharenkova, K. Hozumi, P. Alken, P. Coïsson, M. R. Hairston, and W. R. Coley (2018), Study of the equatorial and low-latitude electrodynamic and ionospheric disturbances during the 22–23 June 2015 geomagnetic storm using ground-based and spaceborne techniques, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123(3), 2424–2440, doi:10.1002/2017JA024981.
Alken, P., S. Maus, A. Chulliat, P. Vigneron, O. Sirol, and G. Hulot (2015), Swarm equatorial electric field chain: First results, Geophysical Research Letters, 42(3), 673–680, doi:10.1002/2014GL062658
Alken, P., A. Chulliat, and S. Maus (2013), Longitudinal and seasonal structure of the ionospheric equatorial electric field, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 118(3), 1298–1305, doi:10.1029/2012JA018314