SuperDARN

SuperDARN

Super Dual Auroral Radar Network
Established	1993;32 years ago (1993)
Purpose	Research of the Ionosphere
Affiliations	La Trobe University University of Saskatchewan NSSC, CAS PRIC IRAP British Antarctic Survey University of Leicester Lancaster University INAF Nagoya University NICT NIPR UNIS SANSA University of KwaZulu-Natal Virginia Tech Applied Physics Laboratory Dartmouth College Penn State

A SuperDARN radar site located in Saskatoon, Canada

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is an international scientific radar network ^{[1] [2]} consisting of 41 ^[3] high frequency (HF) radars located in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. SuperDARN radars are primarily used to map high-latitude plasma convection in the F region of the ionosphere, but the radars are also used to study a wider range of geospace phenomena including field aligned currents, magnetic reconnection, geomagnetic storms and substorms, magnetospheric MHD waves, mesospheric winds via meteor ionization trails, and interhemispheric plasma convection asymmetries. ^[2]

The SuperDARN collaboration is composed of radars operated by JHU/APL, Virginia Tech, Dartmouth College, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Leicester, Lancaster University, La Trobe University, the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory at Nagoya University, the British Antarctic Survey and the Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (INAF-IAPS Italy).

History

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Scandinavian Twin Auroral Radar Experiment (STARE) very high frequency (VHF) coherent scatter radars were used to study field aligned E region ionospheric irregularities. Using two radars with overlapping fields of view, it was possible to determine the 2D velocity vector of E region ionospheric plasma flow. ^[2] However, irregularities were only observed when the radar wavevector was perpendicular to the magnetic field in the scattering region.

This meant that there was a problem with operating at VHF since VHF frequencies don't allow for very much refraction of the transmitted radar wave vector; thus, the perpendicularity requirement could not be easily met at high latitudes. At HF frequencies, however, refraction of the radar wave vector is greater, and this allows for the perpendicularity requirement to be met at high latitudes. Refraction of radio waves in the ionosphere is a complicated non-linear phenomenon governed by the Appleton–Hartree equation.

In 1983, a steerable-beam HF radar with 16 log-periodic antennas began operations at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. ^[1] Comparing measurements of F region ionospheric plasma velocity from the Goose Bay radar with the Sondestrom Incoherent Scatter Radar revealed that the Goose Bay radar was capable of measuring the F region plasma convection velocity. A magnetically conjugate radar was constructed in Antarctica at Halley Research Station in 1988 as part of the Polar Anglo–American Conjugate Experiment (PACE). PACE provided simultaneous conjugate studies of ionospheric and magnetospheric phenomena. ^[2]

From PACE, which was only able to determine a single component of the 2D ionospheric velocity, it became apparent that determining the 2D ionospheric velocity would be advantageous. Combining velocity measurements from Goose Bay with a second coherent-scatter radar in Schefferville in 1989 allowed for a 2D determination of the F region ionospheric velocity.

This work led to SuperDARN, a network of HF radars with pairs of radars having overlapping fields of view. This arrangement allowed for the determination of the full 2D ionospheric plasma convection velocity. Due to the advancement of data assimilation models, radars recently added to the network do not necessarily have overlapping fields of view. Using data from all SuperDARN radars in the northern or southern hemisphere, an ionospheric plasma convection pattern—a map of high-latitude plasma velocity at F region altitudes (300 km)—can be determined. ^[2]

Primary Goals

The primary goals of SuperDARN are to determine or study:

• Structure of global convection—to provide a global-scale view of the configuration of plasma convection in the high-latitude ionosphere;
• Dynamics of global convection—to provide a global-scale view of the dynamics of plasma convection in the high-latitude ionosphere. (Previous studies of high-latitude convection had largely been statistical and time-averaged);
• Substorms—to test various theories of polar cap expansion and contraction under changing IMF conditions and observe the large-scale response of the nightside; convection pattern to substorms:
• Signatures of atmospheric gravity waves in the ionosphere, ^[4]
• High-latitude plasma structures, and
• Ionospheric irregularities

Operations

SuperDARN radars operate in the HF band between 8.0  MHz (37 m) and 22.0 MHz (14 m). ^[2] In the standard operating mode each radar scans through 16 beams of azimuthal separation of ~3.24°, with a scan taking 1 min to complete (~3 seconds integration per beam).

Each beam is divided into 75 (or 100) range gates each 45 km in distance, and so in each full scan the radars each cover 52° in azimuth and over 3000 km in range; an area encompassing the order of 1 million square km.

The radars measure the Doppler velocity (and other related characteristics) of plasma density irregularities in the ionosphere.

Since Linux became popular, it has become the default operating system for the SuperDARN network. The operating system (superdarn-ros.3.6) is currently licensed under the LGPL).

SuperDARN sites

The following is a list of SuperDARN sites, based on a list maintained by Virginia Tech College of Engineering. ^[5]

As of 2009, an expansion project was underway for expanding the network into the middle latitudes, including the addition of sites in Hays, Kansas (near Fort Hays State University), Oregon, and the Azores, in order to support mapping outside of the auroral regions during large magnetic storms. ^[6]

  Decommissioned

Name	Code	Location	Coordinates	Boresight Heading	PI Institute
Northern Hemisphere
Adak Island East	ade	Adak Island, Alaska	51°53′34″N176°37′43″W / 51.8929°N 176.6285°W / 51.8929; -176.6285	46.0°	Penn State
Adak Island West	adw		51°53′35″N176°37′52″W / 51.8931°N 176.6310°W / 51.8931; -176.6310	−28.0°
Blackstone	bks	Blackstone, Virginia	37°06′07″N77°57′01″W / 37.1019°N 77.9502°W / 37.1019; -77.9502	-40.0°	Virginia Tech
Christmas Valley East	cve	Christmas Valley, Oregon	43°16′13″N120°21′24″W / 43.2703°N 120.3567°W / 43.2703; -120.3567	54.0°	Dartmouth College
Christmas Valley West	cvw		43°16′15″N120°21′31″W / 43.2707°N 120.3585°W / 43.2707; -120.3585	−20.0°
Clyde River	cly	Clyde River, Nunavut	70°29′12″N68°30′13″W / 70.4867°N 68.5037°W / 70.4867; -68.5037	−55.6°	University of Saskatchewan
Fort Hays East	fhe	Hays, Kansas	38°51′31″N99°23′19″W / 38.8585°N 99.3886°W / 38.8585; -99.3886	45.0°	Virginia Tech
Fort Hays West	fhw		38°51′32″N99°23′25″W / 38.8588°N 99.3904°W / 38.8588; -99.3904	−25.0°
Goose Bay	gbr	Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador	53°19′04″N60°27′51″W / 53.3179°N 60.4642°W / 53.3179; -60.4642	5.0°
Hankasalmi	han	Hankasalmi	62°18′50″N26°36′19″E / 62.3140°N 26.6054°E / 62.3140; 26.6054	−12.0°	University of Leicester
Hejing East	hje	Hejing, Xinjiang	42°53′06″N83°42′32″E / 42.885°N 83.709°E / 42.885; 83.709	39.0°	NSSC, CAS
Hejing West	hjw		42°53′06″N83°42′32″E / 42.885°N 83.709°E / 42.885; 83.709	-39.0°
Hokkaido East	hok	Rikubetsu, Hokkaido	43°31′54″N143°36′52″E / 43.5318°N 143.6144°E / 43.5318; 143.6144	25.0°	Nagoya University
Hokkaido West	hkw		43°32′14″N143°36′27″E / 43.5372°N 143.6075°E / 43.5372; 143.6075	−30.0°
Iceland East	ice	Þykkvibær	63°46′28″N20°32′30″W / 63.7744°N 20.5416°W / 63.7744; -20.5416	23.0°	Dartmouth College
Iceland West	icw		63°46′26″N20°32′45″W / 63.7740°N 20.5458°W / 63.7740; -20.5458	-52.0°
Inuvik	inv	Inuvik, Northwest Territories	68°24′46″N133°46′08″W / 68.4129°N 133.7690°W / 68.4129; -133.7690	26.4°	University of Saskatchewan
Jiamusi East	jme	Jiamusi, Heilongjiang	46°46′00″N130°29′09″E / 46.7666°N 130.4859°E / 46.7666; 130.4859	44.0°	NSSC, CAS
Kapuskasing	kap	Kapuskasing, Ontario	49°23′34″N82°19′19″W / 49.3929°N 82.3219°W / 49.3929; -82.3219	−12.0°	Virginia Tech
King Salmon	ksr	King Salmon, Alaska	58°41′30″N156°39′32″W / 58.6918°N 156.6588°W / 58.6918; -156.6588	−20.0°	Penn State
Kodiak	kod	Kodiak, Alaska	57°36′43″N152°11′29″W / 57.6119°N 152.1914°W / 57.6119; -152.1914	30.0°
Longjing East	lje	Longjing, Jilin	42°49′27″N129°25′21″E / 42.8241°N 129.4224°E / 42.8241; 129.4224	44.0°	NSSC, CAS
Longjing West	ljw		42°49′36″N129°25′04″E / 42.8267°N 129.4178°E / 42.8267; 129.4178	-34.0°
Longyearbyen	lyr	Longyearbyen, Svalbard	78°09′13″N16°03′39″E / 78.1535°N 16.0607°E / 78.1535; 16.0607	23.7°	UNIS
Þykkvibær	pyk	Þykkvibær	63°46′22″N20°32′40″W / 63.7728°N 20.5445°W / 63.7728; -20.5445	30.0°	University of Leicester
Prince George	pgr	Prince George, British Columbia	53°58′52″N122°35′31″W / 53.9812°N 122.5920°W / 53.9812; -122.5920	−5.0°	University of Saskatchewan
Rankin Inlet	rkn	Rankin Inlet, Nunavut	62°49′41″N92°06′47″W / 62.8281°N 92.1130°W / 62.8281; -92.1130	5.7°
Saskatoon	sas	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	52°09′26″N106°31′50″W / 52.1572°N 106.5305°W / 52.1572; -106.5305	23.1°
Schefferville	sch	Schefferville, Quebec	54°48′N66°48′W / 54.8°N 66.8°W / 54.8; -66.8	15.0°	CNRS/LPCE
Siziwang East	sze	Siziwang, Inner Mongolia	41°49′58″N111°56′01″E / 41.8327°N 111.9337°E / 41.8327; 111.9337	42.0°	NSSC, CAS
Siziwang West	szw		41°49′58″N111°55′51″E / 41.8327°N 111.9309°E / 41.8327; 111.9309	-36.0°
Stokkseyri	sto	Stokkseyri	63°51′37″N21°01′52″W / 63.8603°N 21.0310°W / 63.8603; -21.0310	−59.0°	Lancaster University
Wallops Island	wal	Wallops Island, Virginia	37°51′27″N75°30′36″W / 37.8576°N 75.5099°W / 37.8576; -75.5099	35.9°	Applied Physics Laboratory
Southern Hemisphere
Name	Code	Location	Coordinates	Boresight Heading	PI Institute
Buckland Park	bpk	Buckland Park, South Australia	34°37′37″S138°27′57″E / 34.6270°S 138.4658°E / -34.6270; 138.4658	146.5°	La Trobe University
Dome C East	dce	Concordia Station	75°05′24″S123°21′00″E / 75.090°S 123.350°E / -75.090; 123.350	115.0°	INAF
Dome C North	dcn		75°05′10″S123°21′35″E / 75.086°S 123.3597°E / -75.086; 123.3597	-28.0°
Falkland Islands	fir	Falkland Islands	51°49′53″S58°58′45″W / 51.8314°S 58.9793°W / -51.8314; -58.9793	178.3°	British Antarctic Survey
Halley*	hal	Halley Research Station	75°37′12″S26°13′09″W / 75.6200°S 26.2192°W / -75.6200; -26.2192	165.0°
Kerguelen	ker	Kerguelen Islands	49°21′03″S70°15′59″E / 49.3507°S 70.2665°E / -49.3507; 70.2665	168.0°	IRAP/CNRS/IPEV
McMurdo	mcm	McMurdo Station	77°50′15″S166°39′21″E / 77.8376°S 166.6559°E / -77.8376; 166.6559	300.0°	Penn State
SANAE*	san	SANAE IV Station	71°40′37″S2°49′42″W / 71.6769°S 2.8282°W / -71.6769; -2.8282	173.2°	SANSA
South Pole	sps	South Pole Station	89°59′42″S118°17′28″E / 89.995°S 118.291°E / -89.995; 118.291	75.7°	Penn State
Syowa East*	sye	Showa Station	69°00′31″S39°36′01″E / 69.0085°S 39.6003°E / -69.0085; 39.6003	106.5°	NIPR
Syowa South*	sys		69°00′39″S39°35′24″E / 69.0108°S 39.5900°E / -69.0108; 39.5900	159.0°
Tiger	tig	Bruny Island, Tasmania	43°23′59″S147°12′58″E / 43.3998°S 147.2162°E / -43.3998; 147.2162	180.0°	La Trobe University
Unwin	unw	Awarua, near Invercargill	46°30′47″S168°22′34″E / 46.5131°S 168.3762°E / -46.5131; 168.3762	227.9°
Zhongshan	zho	Zhongshan Station	69°22′36″S76°22′05″E / 69.3766°S 76.3681°E / -69.3766; 76.3681	72.5°	PRIC

*: Part of the Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment

Coverage

Northern Hemisphere

• Because the SuperDARN network evolved in the west during the late Cold War, coverage of Russia's arctic regions is poor.
• Although there is no shortage of possible sites to cover Russia's Arctic regions from Northern Europe and Alaska, the coverage would probably not be of high quality.
• Although Russian universities have worked with the University of Leicester and installed a HF radar in Siberia, national funding issues have limited the radar operations.
• The Polar Research Institute of China has extended mid-latitude coverage, christening the extension to SuperDARN "AgileDARN" ^[7]

Southern Hemisphere

• Although Antarctica is covered reasonably well, the Sub-Antarctic regions do not have uniform coverage due to the large expanse of ocean.
• Java VM real time display software interoperability (where both poles could be observed at the same time) is still a work in progress.

SuperDARN in action

• 
  Real Time Java applet display of SuperDARN network for the Americas
• 
  The Unwin Radar is a scientific radar array at Awarua Plain near Invercargill, New Zealand

Annual SuperDARN Workshops

Each year the SuperDARN scientific community gather to discuss SuperDARN science, operations, hardware, software and other SuperDARN related issues. Traditionally, this workshop has been hosted by one of the SuperDARN PI groups, often at their home institution, or at another location such as a site close to a radar installation. A list of the SuperDARN workshop locations and their host institutions is provided below:

Year	Venue	Host Institution
2025	Blacksburg, Virginia, USA	Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology (VT)
2024	Beijing, China	National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2023	Drakensburg, South Africa	University of KwaZulu-Natal
2022	Online	National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2021	Online	University of Saskatchewan
2020	Online	University of KwaZulu-Natal
2019	Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan	National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
2018	Banyuls-sur-Mer, France	L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
2017	San Quirico D'Orcia, Siena, Italy	Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IAPS) of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF)
2016	Fairbanks, Alaska, USA	Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
2015	Leicester, UK	Radio and Space Plasma Physics Group (RSPP), University of Leicester
2014	Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway	The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
2013	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada	University of Saskatchewan
2012	Shanghai, China	Polar Research Institute of China
2011	Hanover, New Hampshire, USA	Dartmouth College
2010	Hermanus, South Africa	SANSA Space Science (previously the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, HMO)
2009	Cargèse, Corsica, France	Le Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)
2008	Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia	School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle
2007	Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan	Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University
2006	Chincoteague, USA	Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
2005	Cumbria, UK	British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
2004	Saskatoon, Canada	University of Saskatchewan
2003	Kiljava, Finland
2002	Valdez, Alaska, USA	Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
2001	Venice, Italy
2000	Beechworth, Victoria, Australia	La Trobe University
1999	Reykjavik, Iceland
1998	Tokyo, Japan	National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR)
1997	Ithala Game Reserve, South Africa
1996	Ellicott City, MD, USA
1995	Madingley Hall, Cambridge, UK	British Antarctic Survey
1994	Orléans, France	Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
1993	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada	University of Saskatchewan

References

1. Greenwald, R.A. (1 February 1995). "DARN/SuperDARN". Space Science Reviews. 71 (1–4): 761–796. Bibcode:1995SSRv...71..761G. doi:10.1007/BF00751350. S2CID   197458551.
2. Chisham, G. (1 January 2007). "A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions". Surveys in Geophysics. 28 (1): 33–109. Bibcode:2007SGeo...28...33C. doi: 10.1007/s10712-007-9017-8 .
3. Ruohoniemi, M.J. "VT SuperDARN Home: Virginia Tech SuperDARN" . Retrieved 17 July 2025.
4. "Gravity wave", Wikipedia, 8 December 2022, archived from the original on 26 December 2024, retrieved 17 February 2023
5. "Radar Information". Virginia Tech. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
6. "APL Part of International Team Expanding Space Weather Radar Network". Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
7. "SuperDARN Workshop 2016". SuperDARN Workshop 2016. University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.

Research papers

Research papers related to SuperDARN and related technologies

• Double Pulse Operations with SuperDARN
• The TIGER Radar, An Extension of SuperDARN

Real time display of SuperDarn radar

• Realtime Java applet display Archived 15 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine (North American Arctic)

External links

Each participating university should be listed here. As these are ongoing research sites, these links are subject to change.

Northern Hemisphere Stations

• Canada : SuperDARN at University of Saskatchewan
• US :SuperDARN Archived 2 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute
• US : SuperDARN at Virginia Tech
• US :SuperDARN at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire
• UK : SuperDARN UK

Southern Hemisphere Stations

• Australia : SuperDARN Tiger at La Trobe University
• ...