AIA observatory is located at the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky. During 1998—2003 Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky (magnetic observatory Argentine Islands) was re-equipped with modern hardware for magnetic measurements, and this led to including the AIA observatory into INTERMAGNET in 2002.
In 2000 the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the Lviv Centre of Institute for Space Research of the National Academy of Sciences and National Space Agency of Ukraine (LC ICR NASU-NSAU) agreed to provide the satellite magnetic data transmission for the AIA observatory. 3455A GIM (SYNERGETICS INTERNATIONAL) transmitting antenna was installed at the station. It provides data transmission to the GOES-E geostationary satellite. Data from the LEMI008 variometer has been transmitted continuously via the satellite channel since February 11, 2001.
Currently the AIA observatory is maintained by the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine.
Hardware:
- LEMI-008 fluxgate vector magnetometer;
- EDA fluxgate vector magnetometer;
- PMP-8 proton magnetometer for total F field registration ;
- Magnetic theodolite THEO 020B with a MAG-01H fluxgate sensor.
Main observatory building
PMP-8 proton precession magnetometer
3Т2КП DIM theodolite with a fluxgate Mag-01H magnetometer
LEMI-008 fluxgate vector magnetometer: sensor (left) and control block (right)
Observed and adopted baseline values for the 2005 year