Rafael Mesquita

Dr. Rafael Mesquita is an atmospheric and space scientist whose research focuses on geospace neutral dynamics, magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling, space weather, and the development of global data systems and analysis tools for heliophysics research, including the development of observing systems simulation experiments (OSSEs). His work combines observational datasets, numerical modeling, and large-scale data assimilation to investigate auroral electrodynamics, ionospheric and thermospheric variability, geomagnetic disturbances, and the response of near-Earth space to solar forcing. He serves as principal investigator of SuperMAG, an international ground magnetometer collaboration funded by the National Science Foundation that provides community access to standardized geomagnetic observations and derived products for space physics research and operational applications. Dr. Mesquita is also deputy project scientist for the Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission and science lead for EZIE-Mag, contributing to the mission’s scientific strategy and magnetic field data products and the mission’s broader outreach. His interests include high-latitude electro- and neutral dynamics, geomagnetic indices, data-driven geospace modeling, and advancing collaborative cyberinfrastructure for the heliophysics community.