The initiative develops sophisticated models that integrate solar activity, geomagnetic field variations, geological activity and climate patterns to improve long-term predictions and understand the complex interactions between the space and Earth environments.

The Geomagnetic Solar Climate Model programme enhances Africa's capabilities in climate prediction and space weather monitoring. The initiative develops sophisticated models that integrate solar activity, geomagnetic field variations, geological activity and climate patterns to improve long-term predictions and understand the complex interactions between the space and Earth environments.

Since Milankovic’s pioneering work on planetary climatology a century ago, and much excellent work on themes such as the relationship between space weather and our climate, geological activity and geomagnetism, scholars that are examining these and other isolated relationships, have not yet fully explored the creation of a planetary model that combines the numerous individual relationships to view the larger interconnected system. Without such a comprehensive model, we are left with an inadequate analysis for prediction and a less than complete model for analysis on Earth and comparison of other planets.

This research project is particularly relevant for Africa and we are equipped with South Africa’s history of excellence in space weather monitoring with the world’s longest continuously operational magnetic observatory. FSDA aims to address these gaps by creating a complex data driven model to search for and examine the correlations between a number of variables and proxies representing Earth’s magnetism, geological activity, climate and space weather over the last few decades. In addition to seeking out said correlations, the primary collaborative research goal is likely to sit in inter-disciplinary natural science areas such as plasma physics, to provide a scientific rationale for the relationships.

This research is particularly relevant for Africa, where climate variability has profound impacts on agriculture, water resources and food security. By improving climate predictions, the programme enables better planning and adaptation strategies. The GMSC programme involves partnerships with international research institutions, access to global datasets, and the development of African expertise in climate science and space physics. It contributes to global scientific knowledge whilst addressing Africa's specific needs for improved climate resilience and environmental understanding.