Where is the Schumann resonance measured?

The Schumann resonance is a global phenomenon: the cavity is the whole planet and the fundamental is measured at nearly the same frequency everywhere. Measuring it, however, is a different matter. The 7.83 Hz signal is on the order of picotesla — millions of times weaker than urban noise, mains wiring and radio broadcasts. That is why the number of ELF observatories that stream reliably, continuously and openly can be counted on one hand. This page introduces the network, how the stations work, and the source we stream live. For how the modes look on a spectrogram, see our modes guide.

How an ELF station works

The heart of a station is a vertical electric-field (Ez) antenna — usually an insulated mast or sphere with a low-noise amplifier beneath it. Some stations add induction-coil magnetometers to capture the magnetic components (Hx/Hy). Once amplified to the millivolt range, the signal is digitized and transformed into a spectrum with long-window FFTs; the result is the familiar spectrogram with hours on the horizontal axis and 0–40 hertz on the vertical. The hard part is not the measurement but the noise: 50/60 hertz mains hum and radio transmitters tower over the target. That is why stations are built in remote, quiet, well-grounded locations.

The observatory network

Stations on different continents measure the same fundamental but carry slightly different shadows: Nakatsugawa emphasizes Asian storms, Cumiana the European hours. Together they give a global picture no single station can.

Why we stream Tomsk

The Siberian station of Tomsk State University is one of the few observatories that publish their data in real time and openly. Our live chart re-fetches the current spectrogram from the source every 4 minutes and displays it unmodified. When the source is down, the page says so honestly — we never show a stale or fabricated frame. Our time-machine archive stores each UTC day's closing spectrogram; you can reach it from the live chart page.

Can you measure it yourself?

Partly. A vertical antenna, a low-noise amplifier and a sound card can reveal the 7.83 hertz peak from a quiet rural spot — see the DIY notes on our stations page. The main obstacle is the noise floor: distance from mains wiring, differential inputs and good grounding are half the battle; patience is the rest. In a city apartment the measurement is nearly hopeless — elevator motors, LED lighting and wiring all shout louder than the planet. But it is not impossible; it just asks for care, silence and a little ELF literacy. The peak you are looking for will appear as a horizontal line; for its character, return to our guide.

The network at a glance