Quantifying Energetic Particle Precipitation over Canada

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Above our atmosphere is a swirling sea of high-energy particles: the Van Allen radiation belts. Trapped by Earth's magnetic field, these particles are usually confined to near-Earth space, but natural events frequently force them down into our atmosphere. When that happens, they rain down in two bands centered on the magnetic poles; most of Canada lies under the northern band. This so-called "Energetic Particle Precipitation" (EPP) affects the space environment, the satellites travelling through it, and Earth's atmosphere. By draining near-Earth space of the high-energy particles that might otherwise hit satellites and degrade their electronics, EPP leads to a less hostile environment for our technology. But in the atmosphere, the rain of particles has many consequences, affecting radio propagation and changing the chemistry of the upper atmosphere. In particular, EPP-driven ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere may be relevant to Earth's radiative balance. Understanding EPP will require the work of many researchers across the globe. The proposed research will quantify the amount of EPP over Western Canada, aim to identify its natural causes and quantify its effects on the space and atmospheric environments. Research methods include the analysis of satellite, balloon-based and ground-based data in conjunction with appropriate computational and theoretical models. Although regionally-focussed, the proposed research attacks a question of global relevance, relating to magnetospheric effects on Earth's entire atmosphere.