A Plan for Solar-Terrestrial Research in Global Geosciences

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Solar-Terrestrial research is passing through a critical point. From the phase of exploration and study of the individual components of the solar-terrestrial system, we are now entering the phase of understanding how these components are coupled to each other and how the sun-earth system works as a single whole. Several recent studies and national and international program proposals have formulated broad objectives for STR during the next 10-15 years. From these studies, the multidisciplinary nature of STR and the need for a global approach to the study of the solar-terrestrial system emerge quite clearly. So do the many potential benefits, intellectual, commercial and security, that science and society can expect from such an integrated study. However, there is a need to distill from these broad objectives a modest, well-defined program that represents the S/T contribution to the NSF's Global Geosciences Initiative. To this end, and in response to discussions with NSF, the PI, Dr. Roederer, will lead an effort with the following tasks,- (I) Examine the current status of scientific research in S/T. (II) Identify new initiatives that are relevant to the National Solar Terrestrial Program (NSTP) and international S/T programs. (III) Formulate a plan which maximizes the scientific return within modest budgetary requirements. (IV) Submit the plan "Solar Terrestrial Research in Global Geosciences" to NSF by November 1987. A steering meeting exists which will meet in Baltimore in May 1987. A workshop will be held in August 1987 and a final executive planning session in September 1987. The end result will be a well defined set of major projects emphasizing ground- based theoretical and numerical studies of interaction processes governing the transfer of energy, momentum and mass in the solar wind/magnetosphere/ionosphere/atmosphere system. This set of projects will be proposed as the STR component of the NSF Global Geosciences Program and would represent NSF's contribution to the NSTP and SCOSTEP's Solar-Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP).