AUTOMATED OBSERVATORIES FOR GEOSPACE RESEARCH IN POLAR-REGIONS

The specification, development and deployment of an automated observat ory designed to operate unattended for a year in the extreme climatic conditions of the polar regions is presented. Solar-and wind-powered e lectric generators are used to charge lead/acid batteries to provide a nominal 100 W of electrical power for operating scientific sensors. T he equipment is housed in a highly insulated caboose (3m by 2m by 2m). The temperature in the latter is regulated using a unique thermal con trol system which utilizes the latent heat of 500 1 of water stored in 25-1 plastic containers. Data are logged to optical disks for collect ion once per year. The observatory is designed to be air-deployed usin g a DHC-6 aircraft. The paper discusses the rationale for designing su ch automated systems, the operational experience gained from several y ears of operation, and the application of a network of observatories t o solar-terrestrial physics research.