This book describes how measurements of naturally occurring variations of Earth’s magnetic field can be used to provide information on the near-Earth space environment. This is a complex and highly dynamic region, the home of space weather which affects orbiting spacecraft and technological systems on the ground. The measurements come mostly from ground-based magnetometers but also from high frequency radars, very low frequency transmitters, and from satellite platforms. Such remote sensing is possible because magnetic field lines originating in Earth extend through the atmosphere and into space, and respond to perturbations in the solar wind which are transmitted Earthward by periodic magnetic and electric field perturbations called plasma waves.

The book does not assume familiarity with concepts in space physics and plasma physics. However, there is a strong emphasis on understanding the core concepts, and the consequent science applications. This is a new and exciting field, which greatly extends the utility of ground and in situ observations and mathematical descriptions of the observed phenomena.

From the contents:

• The magnetosphere and ionosphere
• ULF plasma waves in the Magnetosphere
• Sources of ULF waves
• Techniques for detecting fi eld linerResonances
• Ground-Based remote sensing of the magnetospere
• Space weather applications
• ULF waves in the ionosphere
• Magnetoseismology at other planets and stars