This study of ‘space weather’ increases understanding of how the Sun and space impact our environment and technological systems. The upper atmosphere is used as a gigantic detector of energy coming from space into the polar atmosphere. Monitoring changes allows more to be learnt about processes in space and how space weather couples with Earth’s climate. Data are also fed into a global lightning network. The Scott Base receiver contributes measurements to the World Wide Lightning Location Network, which monitors real time global lightning discharges.
