The Chinese Meridian Project (CMP) Phase II has reached completion and national acceptance. This project reportedly represents the world’s first comprehensive ground-based monitoring network spanning the entire sun-Earth space environment, extending from the solar atmosphere to near-Earth space.
With construction starting in 2019, CMP Phase II established a ‘two vertical, two horizontal’ double-cross monitoring network along the 100°E and 120°E longitudes and the 30°N and 40°N latitudes. By integrating 16 new observation stations with the original 15 CMP Phase I stations, the project enables unprecedented 3D monitoring of space weather phenomena, from solar eruptions to Earth’s atmospheric responses.
Innovative technology
According to the researchers, CMP Phase II features several key technological advances. First, the Daocheng Radio Telescope (DART), a ring-shaped array, captures 3D coronal tomography with a 10-solar-radius field of view, enabling exceptional tracking of solar activity. Second, a metastable helium lidar array enables continuous height-resolved detection of atmospheric metastable helium within a height range of 200-1,000km.
Third, the project includes the world’s first tristatic incoherent scatter radar system, which employs phased array technology to perform ionospheric computed tomography (CT) scanning and 3D imaging over distances of thousands of kilometers. Fourth, the Chinese Dual Auroral Radar Network (CN-DARN), a mid-latitude high-frequency radar array, achieves 24/7 observation of ionospheric dynamics across Asia, covering over 4,000km meridionally and 10,000km zonally. Finally, the project features China’s first facility dedicated to reconstructing 3D solar wind structures, enhancing predictions of the interplanetary environment.
Predicting geomagnetic storms
Since its trial phase, CMP Phase II has reported high reliability. Notably, it captured the May 2024 super geomagnetic storm, providing real-time, high-precision data crucial to understanding atmospheric responses to the space environment.
Wang Chi, principal investigator of CMP Phase II, said, “By unifying global-scale monitoring, we are building a critical shield against space weather threats and offering innovative solutions to global scientific challenges.”
Building on this success, China is launching the International Meridian Circle Program (IMCP) – a 180° longitude monitoring chain, extending from 120°E to 60°W, enabling continuous, all-latitude observation of space weather. This initiative will address transnational challenges such as solar storms and geomagnetic disruptions.
In related news, NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) researchers on board the International Space Station recently released the mission’s first trove of scientific data, crucial to investigating how and why subtle changes in Earth’s atmosphere cause disturbances, as well as how these atmospheric disturbances affect technological systems on the ground and in space. Click here to read the full story.