. CrowdMag: An Opportunity for Science, Outreach and Education

Abstract
The NOAA/CIRES CrowdMag app allows citizen scientists to collect magnetic field data using the 3-component magnetometers built in to all modern smartphones. The primary goal of the app is to provide crowd-sourced regional measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field in support of global field models, as well as support the mapping of local magnetic anomalies. The World Magnetic Model, developed by NOAA/CIRES, is embedded in virtually every smartphone and is used to make declination corrections for digital compass orientation. There are currently 40K+ enthusiastic CrowdMag users worldwide who have so far contributed >30 million magnetic measurements to the NOAA archives. The CrowdMag app also has great potential as a teaching and learning tool. CrowdMag has been updating its platform from a passive data gathering tool, to a more interactive service. The app allows users to collect magnetic data values “in the field” – for example, on walking or bicycling traverses. The user can analyze their own data to learn about signal-to-noise evaluation and about variations in the magnetic field caused by both natural and man-made objects. We want users to participate in the collection of interesting magnetic data, so they can gain insight into the invisible and powerful magnetic world that surrounds them. We are just beginning our 3rd year of using CrowdMag as the basis for student intern research as part of the CIRES “Research Experience for Community College” (RECCS) program. Over the past two years our RECCS interns have explored the use of CrowdMag for mapping magnetic anomalies caused by urban infrastructure.