A History of Solar-Terrestrial Physics

  • 1942 Interservice Radio Propagation Laboratory formed at NBS in Washington DC to publish and disseminate ionospheric data.

  • 1944 IRPL begins publishing Ionospheric Data.

  • 1946 Central Radio Propagation Laboratory (CRPL) forms in the Department of Commerce (DOC) to centralize research and predictions in the field of radio propagation, including investigating solar and geophysical effects and ionospheric data responsibilities.

  • 1954 CRPL moves to Boulder, Colorado.

  • 1955 CRPL begins publishing Solar Geophysical Data every month.

  • 1957 World Data Center A (WDC-A) system of international data centers in the United States established in support of the International Geophysical Year. WDC-A for Airglow and Ionosphere established in CRPL. WDC-A for Aurora established at the University of Alaska and Cornell University. WDC-A for Cosmic Rays established at the University of Minnesota. WDC-A for Solar Activity established at the University of Colorado.

  • 1965 Environmental Sciences Services Administration (ESSA) formed to bring together the scientific agencies of the DOC. ESSA incorporates parts of C&GS, the Weather Bureau, and the National Bureau of Standards including CRPL. Environmental Data Service (EDS), the Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL), and the National Environmental Satellite Center (NESC-later NESS) formed within ESSA.

  • 1966 Aeronomy and Space Data Center (ASDC) established in Space Disturbances Laboratory (SDL) in ERL with Virginia Lincoln as Director. WDC-A for Cosmic Rays transferred to ASDC. Monitoring and forecasting of the Solar and Terrestrial environment continued in SDL, while for radio propagation activities were assigned to the Telecommunications Laboratory.

  • 1967 WDC-A for solar activity and aurora transferred to ASDC.

  • 1968 WDC-A for Upper Atmosphere Geophysics, co-located with ASDC, combines the WDC-As for Solar Activity, Ionosphere and Airglow, Cosmic Rays, and Aurora.

  • 1970 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established within DOC; EDS assigned to NOAA.

  • 1971 EDS geomagnetic data activities move from Washington, D.C. to Boulder, Colorado.

  • 1972 National Geophysical and Solar and Terrestrial Data Center (NGSDC) formed by combining ASDC and NGDC. NGSDC comprised of three divisions: Solid Earth Geophysics, Solar and Terrestrial Physics, and Data Studies. WDC-A activities in NGSDC are grouped under WDC-A for Solar and Terrestrial Physics and WDC-A for Solid Earth Geophysics. J. Virginia Lincoln becomes Director, WDC-A for STP. NGSDC begins archive of Defense Meteorological Satellite Data (DMSP) auroral imagery.

  • 1973 Third Guide to International Data Exchange through the World Data Centers published. NOAA satellite archive plan establishes NGSDC as the archive center for SMS/GOES and NOAA/TIROS space environmental data.

  • 1974 SMS/GOES space environmental monitor (SEM) archive begins.

  • 1975 International Magnetospheric Study (IMS) Central Information Exchange Office established. NGSDC begins archive of DMSP auroral particle data on tape.

  • 1976 IMS Newsletter begins monthly publication.

  • 1978 TIROS/NOAA SEM archive begins. EDS becomes the Environmental Data and Information Service (EDIS).

  • 1979 Fourth Guide to International Data Exchange through the World Data Centers published.

  • 1980 IMS ends. NGDC suspends publication of IMS Newsletter.

  • 1981 Data Studies Division merges with Solar and Terrestrial Physics Division. Joe Allen becomes Chief, STP Division and Director, WDC-A for STP.

  • 1982 NGSDC is renamed the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Dr. Michael A. Chinnery named Director. National Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) established merging NESS and EDIS.

  • 1984 NGDC suspends publication of Ionospheric Data.

  • 1985 NGDC center-wide information technology services consolidated into the Information Services Division. Seismogram microfilming program transferred to USGS.

  • 1987 Guide to International World Data System, Part 1 published.

  • 1990 NGDC Science Advisory Panel meets for the first time. The team, drawn primarily from academia, makes recommendations to help NGDC define long-term trends in science and related data management issues.

  • 1992 Disaster Preparedness Plan instituted; systematic transfer of data from 9-track magnetic tape to 3480 media begins. New off-site storage area acquired; second copy of all archived data stored in this climate-controlled site. NGDC begins comprehensive archive of all scientific data recorded on DMSP satellites.

  • 1993 DMSP Digital Data Archive MOA signed by NESDIS and DoD Offices/Centers.

  • 1994 Space Physics Interactive Data Resource begins WWW-based data services.

  • 1995 ICSU Scientific Committee On Solar and Terrestrial Physics Secretariat established at NGDC. Herb Kroehl becomes Chief, STP Division and Director, WDC-A for STP. STP Division begins wildfire monitoring activity using DMSP nighttime imagery.

  • 1996 Ad Hoc scientific advisory committee meets to give guidance on future STP science, data and modeling needs. STP Division holds its first division retreat. Dr. Michael S. Loughridge becomes NGDC Director.

  • 1997 STP Division becomes active participant in DoD's Master Environmental Library.

  • 1999 NGDC moves to the new David Skaggs Research Center on the Boulder DOC campus. STP Division begins real-time data services for ionospheric and geomagnetic data.

  • 2000 STP Division begins numerical modeling in real-time. STP Division develops Environmental Scenario Generator.

  • 2001 GOES-12 Solar X-Ray Imager archive begins with real-time data services. NESDIS management tasks NGDC to reinvent itself.

  • 2002 NGDC scientific/programmatic review committee