Varney Geospace Research Group

The Varney Geospace Research Group studies the fundamental physics of the space environment near Earth (i.e. geospace). Our research covers Earth’s ionosphere, the ionized portion of the upper atmosphere, and interactions between the ionosphere, upper atmosphere, and magnetosphere. Understanding the upper atmosphere and ionosphere is a critical part of Space Weather. Our research has implications for predicting satellite orbits, predicting disruptions to radio communications between the ground and space, and predicting geomagnetic disturbances that couple to the electrical grid. We also focus on the ionosphere as a natural laboratory for observing fundamental plasma physics phenomena that occur in a variety of other planetary and astrophysical environments.