2019-03-16: Space Weather Seminar by Dr. Tamitha Skov at CSUN

Abstract: Similar to terrestrial weather, “Space Weather” causes a wide variety of issues that affect our daily lives. From the disruption of satellite GPS signals to the beautiful light displays of the aurora, this talk gives an overview of Space Weather and the multi-faceted impact it has on life on Earth. We begin with the origin of Space Weather at the Sun and follow solar phenomena as they travel through space to reach Earth. We discuss the many ways these phenomena affect Earth, including the kinds of services and people impacted by various types of “solar storms,” and demonstrate how space science, meteorology, and public use of Space Weather forecasting intersects in a real-world example. The recent confluence of extreme terrestrial weather and extreme Space Weather events during the hurricanes of September 2017 defines a new kind of a “perfect storm” in our modern world. Examples like these illustrate why Space Weather is becoming such a critical component of modern weather and highlight why we need to revolutionize public perception and consumption of Space Weather science.

Biography: Dr. Tamitha Mulligan Skov holds B.S. degrees in physics and physical chemistry, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geophysics and planetary physics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2004 she joined The Aerospace Corporation in Los Angeles where she is currently a Research Scientist in the Physical Sciences Laboratory. Dr. Skov works primarily in the fields of solar and space physics research and in the testing of spacecraft materials in realistic space radiation environments. She is an instructor at The Aerospace Institute and has served as an audio forensics analyst and instructor for the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC), funded by the Department of Justice. Her forecasting work as the “Space Weather Woman” is widely known on social media such as You Tube, Twitter, and Facebook. Dr. Skov has been featured in Popular Science Magazine and on television shows for The Weather Channel and The History Channel. She makes regular appearances on TMRO.TV for Space News and TwiT TV for Ham Nation, doing space weather forecasts under her callsign WX6SWW.

Directions: For a campus map and directions, please go to: https://www.csun.edu/csun-maps.

RSVP: The lecture is free, but we’d like to be able to let the facility know how many people will be attending. Please RSVP to Nancy in the Section Office at office@scalacs.org by Thursday, March 14, 2019.