Colloquium: Kasper van Dam (KNMI)

Space weather describes the variations in the space environment between the sun and Earth. Space weather disturbances can have large impacts on vital infrastructures such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), satellite communication networks, power grids and telecommunication systems. The Dutch government has tasked the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) to setup a national space weather warning service, create awareness among the Dutch vital sectors, and build and maintain a knowledge base within the Netherlands. As the national institute for weather, climate and seismology our research focusses on the near-Earth environment, especially the thermosphere-ionosphere system.

In this talk, Kasper van Dam will discuss the interesting and diverse world of space weather, including its multidisciplinary aspects like solar and heliospheric physics, cosmic rays, radio waves and Earth's upper atmosphere. He will also address how KNMI is involved in space weather warnings for international civil aviation.