AAA observatory is located in the vicinity of Alma-Ata (Almaty) city (Kazakhstan).

At the beginning of the 1950s and the construction of Baikonur in terms of space exploration program, the problems of safety of space flights and reliability of radio communications with spacecraft, depending, among other things, on the conditions of propagation of radio waves in the ionosphere, became crucial. At that time, the ionosphere, due to the complexity of the processes occurring in it under the influence of various factors (the effects of solar and cosmic radiation, man-made causes, etc.) was still poorly studied. The results of the first studies of near-Earth space using artificial earth satellites during the International Geophysical Year (IGY, 1957-1958) showed that a network of ground-based observatories studying the ionosphere, the Earth’s magnetic field and the radio-frequency propagation conditions should be expanded. During this period, only one ionospheric station in Kazakhstan was organized (1943) in the system of the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Propagation (IZMIR), which was then subordinate to the USSR Ministry of Communications. With the inclusion of IZMIR into the USSR Academy of Sciences, the Alma-Ata ionospheric station in January 1960 is included into the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences. By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of April 9, 1960 to the Presidium of the kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, tasks were assigned for the researches in the field of the ionosphere, geomagnetism and radio wave propagation, which involved the construction of three integrated ionospheric stations (in Alma-Ata, Karaganda and Novokalinsk). Scientific activity of the ionosphere sector of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences.

As part of the International Quiet Sun Year (IQSY) Program, by October 1963, three stations had begun continuous measurements of the parameters of the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetic field, processing and sending data to the World Data Center (WDC-B2, Moscow) for international exchange data, and Alma-Ata, Karaganda and Novokazalinsk stations were included in the World network of ionospheric stations and magnetic observatories.

Alma-Ata observatory as a part of the Institute of Ionosphere participated in different Soviet and international projects related to various complex geomagnetic, ionospheric and space weather studies.

Since 2005 Alma-Ata observatory is an INTERMAGNET network member (IAGA code AAA). The first AAA definitive dataset appeared on the INTERMAGNET DVD for 2005.

Currently the AAA observatory is maintained by the Institute of Ionosphere, Republic Kazakhstan.

Hardware:

• Fluxgate magnetometer LEMI-008;
• Overhauser proton magetometer POS-1;
• DI-fluxgate 3T2KP with a LEMI-203 fluxgate sensor.

The Institute of Ionosphere building

Absolute pavilion (front view)

Absolute pavilion (side view)

DI-fluxgate 3T2KP with a LEMI-203 fluxgate sensor

Technical pavilion

POSTAL ADDRESS:

Gardening Association "Ionosphere" 117
Almaty, 050020 Kazakhstan

CONTACT INFO:

E-mail: admion1‹at›mail›ru

Fax: +7 (727) 380-30-53