Christopher Scott (scientist)

Scott's primary research focus is on the ionosphere, particularly perturbations from below by atmospheric phenomenon. Scott was the first scientist to demonstrate lightning effects on the 'sporadic E' layer; transient, localized patches of relatively high electron density in the mid-ionosphere, which significantly affect radio-wave propagation.^[6] He subsequently investigated the relation between lightning occurrence and magnetic structures in the solar wind.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} Scott has also used novel datasets to study how pressure waves from the lower atmosphere can lead to disturbances in the ionosphere, most notably using records of the London Blitz World War II bombing raids and ionospheric measurements from Slough.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Using the Heliospheric Imager instruments on the STEREO spacecraft, Scott made the first observations of a solar eruption tracked continuously from the Sun to the Earth.^[17]

Scott is actively involved in the public communication and promotion of science. He has made numerous appearances on TV and radio, most notably the BBC's Sky at Night,^[18] Newsnight, BBC Radio 4's Today programme,^[19] BBC2's James May's Man Lab,^[20] ITN news, and the Discovery Channel. He was science adviser for episode 1 of the BBC series 'Seven Wonders of the Solar System'

Scott is the co-founder of the citizen science "Solar Stormwatch" project, to track solar eruptions in heliospheric imager data.^[21][22][23]