AGF-345 Polar Magnetospheric Substorms (10 ECTS)
ID:
AGF-345
CREDITS:
10 ECTS
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
March 01, 2026
START DATE:
November 09, 2026
END DATE:
December 18, 2026
COURSE PERIOD:
Autumn semester. Teaching block 7
AGF-345/845 students perfrom measurements of the aurora outside the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) on Breinosa in November 2010. Photo: Njål Gulbrandsen/UNIS.
| Grade: | Letter grade (A through F) |
| Course Cost: | None |
| Course Capacity Min/Max: | 8/16 students (AGF-345/845 in total) |
| Language of instruction: | English |
| Examination support material: | Bilingual dictionary between English and mother tongue |
Contact person
Course requirements
Enrolment in a relevant master programme. Good knowledge of plasma physics and electrodynamics. Students enrolled in a space physics programme will be prioritized.
Academic content
This course explores polar magnetospheric substorms—the key drivers of large-scale auroral breakups. Substorms are transient
events in which large amounts of energy are released into the high-latitude ionosphere, producing auroras and geomagnetic
disturbances that can potentially impact communication, navigation and infrastructure.
The course begins with a historical perspective on substorm research, introducing essential terminology and theoretical models. It
then examines the sequence of interactions that define a substorm, as well as recent advancements in the field.
Topics covered include solar wind and magnetosphere coupling, magnetic reconnection, energy accumulation and release
and plasma instabilities believed to trigger substorms, as well as the physics of auroral acceleration and auroral emissions.
Also addressed are effects of substorms on the atmosphere and the consequent implications for communication, navigation,
and infrastructure resilience. The course consists of a combination of lectures, exercises, and a project work. Measurements
obtained at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory and/or the EISCAT Svalbard radar station form the basis of a written report.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, the students will:
Knowledge
- be able to describe geomagnetic storms and polar magnetospheric substorms
- understand the physical processes driving geomagnetic storms and substorms
- know the fundamental substorm models and relevant terminology
- know the impacts of geomagnetic disturbances on communication, navigation and infrastructure
Skills
- be able to analyse data from a suite of ground and space instruments and use this data to identify key substorm
- determine the sequence of events and to be able to estimate the energy budget of a substorm.
General competences
- be able to perform an independent investigation of a substorm
- present the result of this investigation in the form of a written report.
Learning activities
The course extends over ca. 5 weeks including compulsory safety training and is run in combination with AGF-845.
Three essential components ensure effective learning:
- Focused lectures given by specialists in their fields.
- Solving exercises related to the lectures. Students prepare and present solutions to these exercises.
- Visit to the Kjell Henriksen Observatory and/or the EISCAT Svalbard radar station where students are introduced to instrumentation used for substorm research.
Based on observations obtained during the course period, the students will have approximately 10 days to investigate a substorm event and prepare a project report or science proposal which will assess the student’s skills in project management, data analysis and science writing.
Note that AGF-345 is a full-day course, with lectures in the morning and discussions / exercise solving in the afternoon. This course should not be combined with other UNIS activities.
Summary
- Total lecture hours: Ca. 40 hours.
- Total exercises: Ca. 25 hours.
- Excursion: the Kjell Henriksen Auroral Observatory and/or the EISCAT Svalbard radar; 1–2 days.
Compulsory learning activities
All compulsory learning activities must be approved in order to sit the exam.
- Exercises
- Excursions
- Group assignments
- Student presentations
Assessment
- All assessments must be passed in order to pass the course.
- Each assessment is graded, and subsequently combined into a single grade. Partial grades for each assessment will be available.
| Method | Duration |
Percentage of final grade
|
| Written report | 50% | |
| Oral exam | 45 minutes | 50% |