6 J.L. Rasson et al.
INTERMAGNET certification. INDIGO observatories
have not yet reached the stage where the certification
criteria can be met, but some are very close. The main
short term objective is training the observatory staff in
preparing their definitive data.
Several new observatories are actively involved in
becoming INDIGO’s: Quetta (Pakistan), Muntinlupa
(Philippines), Pilar and Orcadas-del-Sur (Argentina),
Tondano (Indonesia).
We foresee more observatories becoming involved,
particularly in Africa where difficult conditions are
threatening the operation of some of the few exist-
ing observatories. Such observatories often benefit
from lower cultural noise in comparison to established
Western observatories; they are far more sparsely dis-
tributed than Western observatories, and are located
close to regions of particular scientific interest such as
the dip equator or South-Atlantic anomaly.
New INDIGO equipment is constantly being pro-
jected and developed: full solar panel electrical sup-
plies, RF wireless transmission of data, MkIII data
logger.
INDIGO is the brainchild of retired but very active
colleague John C Riddick, C Turbitt and S Flower from
BGS together with one of us (JLR) [Ameen et al.,
2009].
1.2 Advances in a Newly Upgraded
Network: The China Earthquake
Administration (CEA) Effort
1.2.1 Observatories in China: Short
History Up to Twentieth Century
There were four major periods for the development of
the magnetic observatories in China’s mainland.
• Before the International Geophysical Year (IGY)
The first magnetic observatory in China was con-
structed in Beijing in 1870 by Russia. It ceased
working in 1882. There were six other magnetic
observatories with different periods of operation but
all of them ceased working before 1944. One excep-
tion was Sheshan (SSH) Observatory which was
constructed in 1874 by the French missionary and
is still in operation now [Zongqi Chen, 1944].
• During the IGY
During the IGY, construction of seven magnetic
observatories including Beijing (BJI), Changchun
(CNH), Wuhan (WHN), Guangzhou (GZH),
Lanzhou (LZH), Lhasa (LSA) and Urumqi (WMQ)
observatories was initiated. Together with SSH,
these eight observatories became the backbone of
the Chinese magnetic network.
• From 1966 to 1979
The 1966 Xingtai Earthquakes triggered the
beginning of the Chinese research on earthquake
prediction. Various observation methods were uti-
lized including magnetic observation. More than
200 magnetic stations were set up around the coun-
try in the following years. These stations were
sponsored by different organizations and/or institu-
tions with a variety of observational procedures and
quality controls [Rongsheng Gao et al., 1999].
• After 1979
In 1979, all of the magnetic observatories and
stations were put under the administration of the
SSB (the State Seismological Bureau, now the
CEA). An organization (now the Geomagnetic
Network of China) in the Institute of Geophysics,
SSB (IGSSB, now IGCEA) was responsible for the
technical support and data management of the mag-
netic network. The network was readjusted several
times taking into account the distribution and the
observational environment of the stations [Anlong
Cheng et al., 1990]. Half of the stations ceased
working. Meanwhile, instrumentation at 29 of the
stations was improved to make them operate as
observatories. Seven observatories out of these 29
joined the existing 8 older observatories to form the
primary observatories. Data from these 15 observa-
tories have been being archived in the World Data
Center system ever since.
1.2.2 Planning the Major Upgrade:
Towards INTERMAGNET Standards
In the late 1990s, the CEA began to consider the
modernization of the geomagnetic network. Taking
into account the importance of continuous reliable
geomagnetic data, they started cautiously at the begin-
ning. Twenty one sets of the Chinese GM-3 type tri-
axial fluxgate magnetometers were installed in twenty