Research institutes maintaining various instrument networks in different countries have joined their efforts to provide the Cluster research community with coordinated ground-based observations. This page lists some modelling and data assimilation methods useful in the analysis or simulation of ground-based and/or satellite data. The researchers working with these models belong to the "modelling working group" which gathers annually in the Workshops of the Cluster ground-based community. If you want to join this activity and add your own tool to the tables below, please, contact either Denis Alcayde (denis.alcayde@cesr.fr) or Kirsti Kauristie (kirsti.kauristie@fmi.fi).
| Method | Optical data | Magnetometer | Radars | Satellites | Note |
| AMIE | X | X | X | Low alt., IMF, Polar |
Heavy to use, G, St. |
| SD map pot. model | - | - | X | IMF | Heavy/QL versions, G, St. |
| TRANSCAR | X | X | X | Low alt. | Heavy to use, M, St., Utilizes AMIE or SD pot. model |
| GUMICS | - | - | - | IMF | Heavy to use, G |
| 3D-mesoscale-MHD | - | - | - | - | "Problem oriented", M |
| ECM | - | X | (X) | Cluster | Heavy to use, G/M |
| Method of characteristics | X | X | X | - | Heavy to use, G/M |
| CECS | - | X | - | - | QL, G/M |
| SCW by SAMNET | - | X | - | - | QL, G |
| Empirical Mag. field models | - | - | - | low alt., high alt. |
Heavy to use, G, St. |
The explanations of the abbreviations:
G=Global scale method
M=Mesoscale method
St.=Utilizes statistical models as input
QL=Easy to run even for quick-look purposes
| Method | Ionospheric | FACs | Magnetospheric | Comments |
| AMIE | Currents, conductivity, convection |
X | - | input for TRANSCAR |
| SD map pot. model | convection | - | - | input for TRANSCAR |
| TRANSCAR | soft precipitation, conductivity, convection |
- | - | ESR data analysis, input for Method of characteristics |
| GUMICS | Currents, conductivity, convection |
X | MHD variables | - |
| 3D-mesoscale-MHD | - | X | MHD variables | - |
| ECM | Currents, conductance | X | - | input for TRANSCAR |
| Method of characteristics | Currents, conductance | X | - | input for TRANSCAR |
| CECS | Equivalent current vectors | - | - | input for AMIE(?) |
| SCW by SAMNET | - | - | SCW location | - |
| Empirical Mag. field models | - | - | Mag. field | Mapping |
Latest update on Feb 19, 2001.
Email: Kirsti.Kauristie@fmi.fi