Science Buddies: Tracking Geomagnetic Storms in the Ionosphere

The Sun is the ultimate source of the energy that powers weather systems on Earth. Geomagnetic storms are sun-powered storms in the upper atmosphere, arising from energized particles that are periodically ejected by the Sun. Among other effects, geomagnetic storms can wreak havoc with earth-orbiting satellites, and disrupt satellite communications. The goal of this science fair project is to test whether errors in GPS (global positioning system) signals are correlated with geomagnetic storm activity in the ionosphere.