If you’re a science lover but don’t know how you can go about participating in research around the world, the CrowdMag App is a great place to start. The app is available on both the Google Play store for Android devices and Apple App store for iOS devices. Using your smartphone’s magnetometer and accelerometer, the CrowdMag App allows you to help scientists obtain data about Earth’s magnetic field.
How Does the CrowdMag App Work?
Most smartphones contain both a magnetometer and accelerometer. The magnetometer is a digital compass that measures the strength and direction of the magnetic field around the device. The accelerometer detects how a device has moved in relation to a reference position. By combining the data from both tools, the CrowdMag App can determine the phone’s directional orientation.
After installing the app, your phone will send NOAA scientists the data collected by the magnetometer and accelerometer once you complete a “Magtivity”. That information combined with real-time solar wind data will allow scientists to create near-real-time models of Earth’s magnetic field. Earth’s magnetic field is constantly shifting at every scale, moving because of everything from solar winds to the construction of a new underground pipe on a local street.
Why Scientists Need This Data
Understanding the changes to Earth’s magnetic field is vital to protect infrastructure from damaging space weather and to ensure navigation systems are accurate. By collecting data directly from the CrowdMag App, scientists can overcome many of the limitations that come with satellite geomagnetic data. It also allows scientists to produce higher resolution magnetic models than they’d be able to with satellites alone.
The CrowdMag App offers badges based on the number of data readings, bronze for 100 readings, silver for 1,000, gold for 10,000, and platinum for 100,000. Additionally, the app allows you to turn a standard flight into a scientific expedition with the CrowdMag Flight Mode. Learn more about the app and how to use it here.
