On July 24, MagQuest judge Dr. Arnaud Chulliat (University of Colorado Boulder and NOAA/NCEI) and magnetometer expert Dr. Mark Moldwin (University of Michigan) joined the MagQuest team for the second in a series of Phase 2 webinars. Dr. Chulliat and Dr. Moldwin presented a deep dive on magnetometer technologies, explored potential sources of data interference, and discussed examples highlighting best practices. Watch the webinar recording and don’t miss the live Q&A at the end.

Top questions and answers from  the webinar 

What is the preferred standard geophysical reference frame?
The preferred reference frame is North-East-Center, which is the reference frame used for SWARM data.

For space platforms, if all platform and instrument noise, bias, and errors are removed (a perfect measurement), is there any additional processing required to create the measurement acceptable for the WMM?
The next step once a “perfect measurement” has been achieved (including the removal of all noise) is to ensure that the vector magnetic field is in a geophysically meaningful reference frame; and that the attitude, orientation, and position are identified.

The separation of magnetic field signals is part of the WMM production process. Should this really concern the sensor, platform, and data solutions put forward?
Most of the natural magnetic field sources will be removed and separated from the core field as part of WMM development. There are some cases (e.g., in terrestrial or ocean-based solutions) where existing models cannot be used to remove the magnetic field from crustal elements. In those cases, it is important that the proposed solution includes a strategy to remove these natural sources. For example, with ocean-based sensors, the effect of oceanic currents would somehow need to be specifically addressed by the platform.

Submissions due August 28

Phase 2 submissions are due by 4:59 p.m. EDT on August 28, 2019. The independent judging panel will help select up to five winners according to the Phase 2 selection criteria and target performance metrics. If you have questions that aren’t addressed in the FAQ, please contact us at hello@magquest.com.

A recording of the final Phase 2 webinar on program management considerations will be available shortly. Subscribe to the MagQuest newsletter to receive updates on webinar recordings and other challenge news.