Dr Sean Elvidge PhD

Dr Sean Elvidge

School of Engineering
Associate Professor of Space Environment
Head of Space Environment Research (SERENE)

Contact details

Address
School of Engineering building
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Sean Elvidge is an Associate Professor in Space Environment and leads the Space Environment and Radio Engineering (SERENE) group in the School of Engineering.

Space weather events are one of the major risks facing society as it becomes increasingly dependent on technology. Sean's research is focused on using innovative mathematical methods to create the next generation space weather forecast models. He was selected for the inaugural Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 list in the Science and Healthcare category.

Sean is a passionate communicator of science on a range of topics. He frequently gives talks to groups and schools across the country, reaching over 1,500 people a year.

Qualifications

Associate Professor in Space Environment

  • PhD in ionospheric modelling, University of Birmingham, 2014
  • MSci (Hons) in Mathematics, University of Birmingham, 2011

Teaching

  • LM Space Environment - Lead Lecturer
  • LI Engineering Mathematics 2 - Lecturer

Other activities

  • International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Early Career Representative
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU) Radio Science journal Associate Editor
  • URSI Council Representative to the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)
  • Villiers Park Educational Trust: Tutor, Mentor & Charity Ambassador

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Culverwell, ID, Healy, SB & Elvidge, S 2024, 'One-Dimensional Variational Ionospheric Retrieval Using Radio Occultation Bending Angles: Part 1 -Theory', Space Weather, vol. 22, no. 1, e2023SW003572. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003572

Elvidge, S, Healy, SB & Culverwell, ID 2024, 'One‐Dimensional Variational Ionospheric Retrieval Using Radio Occultation Bending Angles: 2. Validation', Space Weather, vol. 22, no. 1, e2023SW003571. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003571

Allanson, O, Ma, D, Osmane, A, Albert, JM, Bortnik, J, Watt, CEJ, Chapman, SC, Spencer, J, Ratliff, DJ, Meredith, MP, Elsden, T, Neukirch, T, Hartley, DP, Black, R, Watkins, NW & Elvidge, S 2024, 'The challenge to understand the zoo of particle transport regimes during resonant wave-particle interactions for given survey-mode wave spectra', Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, vol. 11, 1332931. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2024.1332931

Elvidge, S, Granados, SR, Angling, MJ, Themens, DR, Wood, AG & Brown, M 2023, 'Multi‐Model Ensembles for Upper Atmosphere Models', Space Weather, vol. 21, no. 3, e2022SW003356. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003356

Elvidge, S, Themens, DR, Brown, MK & Donegan‐Lawley, E 2023, 'What to Do When the F10.7 Goes Out?', Space Weather, vol. 21, no. 4, e2022SW003392. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003392

Themens, D, Reid, B & Elvidge, S 2022, 'ARTIST ionogram autoscaling confidence scores: best practices ', URSI Radio Science Letters, vol. 4, pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.46620/22-0001

Themens, DR, Watson, C, Žagar, N, Vasylkevych, S, Elvidge, S, McCaffrey, A, Prikryl, P, Reid, B, Wood, A & Jayachandran, PT 2022, 'Global propagation of ionospheric disturbances associated with the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 49, no. 7, e2022GL098158. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098158

Boyde, B, Wood, A, Dorrian, G, Fallows, RA, Themens, D, Mielich, J, Elvidge, S, Mevius, M, Zucca, P, Dabrowski, B, Krankowski, A, Vocks, C & Bisi, MM 2022, 'Lensing from small-scale travelling ionospheric disturbances observed using LOFAR', Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, vol. 12, 34. https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2022030

Abstract

Reid, B, Themens, D, McCaffrey, AM, Jayachandran, PT & Elvidge, S 2023, 'NG21A-05 Real-time resolution of instrumental biases using Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filtering', AGU Fall Meeting 2023, San Francisco, United States, 11/12/23 - 15/12/23. <https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1390896>

Themens, DR, Jayachandran, T, McCaffrey, A, Reid, B & Elvidge, S 2022, 'Assessing the performance of a near-real-time operational data assimilation system: Assimilation Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Model (A-CHAIM)', 44th COSPAR Assembly, Athens, Greece, 16/07/22 - 24/07/22 pp. 996.

Paper

Elvidge, S, Healy, S & Culverwell, I 2023, 'Ionospheric Profile Retrievals using 1D‐Var with COSMIC‐2 Bending Angles', Paper presented at Ionospheric Effects Symposium (IES) 2023, Alexandria, United States, 9/05/23 - 11/05/23.

Elvidge, S & Themens, D 2023, 'Operational Assimilative Ionospheric Models in Europe and the UK', Paper presented at Ionospheric Effects Symposium (IES) 2023, Alexandria, United States, 9/05/23 - 11/05/23.

Elvidge, S 2022, '3D Ionospheric Modelling in the UK', Paper presented at Space Weather Prediction Testbed, Boulder, CO, United States, 20/09/22 - 22/09/22.

Brown, M & Elvidge, S 2022, 'AENeAS – A Data Assimilation Thermosphere Model', Paper presented at COSPAR International Space Weather Action Teams Working Meeting 2022, Coimbra, Portugal, 26/09/22 - 30/04/23.

Preprint

Reid, B, Themens, DR, Elvidge, S, Ahmed, MA, Wong, J & Ball, W 2024 'AIDA: A Real-Time Global Ionosphere/Plasmasphere Data Assimilation Model' ESS Open Archive. https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.170516089.91436324/v1

View all publications in research portal

Media experience

Stargazing Live at The University of Birmingham

Dr Elvidge has a wide range of media experience. This work has primarily been with BBC Learning as part of Stargazing Live which has included numerous radio and television interviews.

As well as regularly advising local radio on science and astronomy topics, Sean has also written a number of articles for magazines (Experimental, iSquared, Plus Magazine, Space Weather Quarterly and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications Magazine).

Expertise

Dr Elvidge has a plethora of experience advising the UK Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence on issues related to space weather and the probability of extreme events. Among his experience:

  • Advice to UK Government (Ministry of Defence & Civil Contingencies Secretary) on Space Weather modelling and risk
  • Advice on Space Weather and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) risk for UK National Risk Register
  • Taken part in Royal Society sponsored Parliamentary Pairing Scheme – pairing  scientists with senior civil servants

Policy experience

Dr Elvidge has a plethora of experience advising the UK Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence on issues related to space weather and the probability of extreme events. Among his experience:

  • Advice to UK Government (Ministry of Defence & Civil Contingencies Secretary) on Space Weather modelling and risk.
  • Advice on Space Weather and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) risk for UK National Risk Register.
  • Taken part in Royal Society sponsored Parliamentary Pairing Scheme – pairing scientists with senior civil servants.