Preface to the Special Issue on "Geomagnetic Research for Taiwan: Present and Future"

Abstract

This special issue documents the status of various aspects on the geomagnetic research in Taiwan with forwardlooking prospects. Geomagnetic experiments and observations conducted in Taiwan can be dated back to the 1970s in their earliest forms. Systematic geomagnetic monitoring and the ensuing research did not emerge until 1988 when the Institute of Earth Sciences of the Academia Sinica began to install continuous magnetometer stations at island-wide locations. Eight proton-precession scalar magnetometers were installed to measure magnetic field intensity at 5 - 10 minutes data rates. The reference Lun-Ping station was further upgraded to the INTERMANGNET standard in 1998 (but later closed). A major objective of this geomagnetic network was to monitor earthquake activities, as exemplified in Liu et al. (2001), in conjunction with _ seismic and GPS networks. The year 1999 saw the devastating Chi-Chi earthquake in central Taiwan. Surprising precursive geomagnetic signals were identified and reported (Yen et al. 2004). More magnetic stations were established with the total number reaching 11 by 2007. The data rates were improved to 1 minute and then 1 s (Yen et al. 2009).

Keywords

• geophysics
• geology
• atmospheric science
• space science
• oceanic science
• hydrology