EOMF-18. CrowdMag citizen-science apps for Space Weather detection

Abstract
The CrowdMag app collects magnetic data from smartphones and sends it to NOAA for scientific analysis. The primary objectives for the CrowdMag project are (1) validation and improvement of NOAA’s geomagnetic models, and (2) enhanced engagement of educators and citizen scientists with NOAA’s mission and science, thus supporting the next generation of scientists and innovators. Smartphone magnetometers were not created with the idea of tracking space weather. The phones employ Hall Effect analog sensors and typically have 16 bit analog to digital converters resulting in lowest bit resolution of, at best, ~150nT. In Boulder, for example, the largest peak to trough daily magnetic variation observed during our test period was only about 80nT. In Alaska, the daily magnetic variations are larger, frequently exceeding 200nT or even 1000nT. We deployed a version of CrowdMag app on an iPhone 11 that averages magnetic data in 10-sec bins to reduce the random noise. This iPhone 11 was used to measure magnetic data at Deadhorse, Alaska for several days in January through March, 2022. We find reasonable correlation between the Phone measurements and the data collected at USGS Deadhorse (DED) magnetic observatory on days when the magnetic variations were strong (> 1000 nT). Our results, while somewhat anecdotal, suggest a path forward for future citizen science activities and filtering of signals from the noisy CrowdMag global archive. https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/crowdmag.shtml