Hylaty Station for Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field Measurements


The first systematic observations of ELF electromagnetic fields at the Jagiellonian University were undertaken in 1994. At the beginning the measurements were carried out sporadically, during expeditions to sparsely populated areas of the Bieszczady Mountains in the south-east of Poland.



In 2004, an automatic Hylaty ELF Station was build there – in a very low electromagnetic noise environment, which enabled continuous recording of the magnetic field components of the ELF electromagnetic field in the frequency range below 60 Hz. In 2013, after 8 years of successful operation, the station was upgraded by extending its frequency range up to 300 Hz.



The Hylaty ELF Station of the Jagiellonian University is located in the Bieszczady Mountains, close to the village of Zatwarnica, in the south-east of Poland. The station named after a nearby Hylaty stream is situated in an uninhabited area, located far from the electrical power grid, at the border of the Bieszczady National Park.



The station is placed on a gentle slope of a hill at the geographic location 49.2°N, 22.5°E. The container, placed at a shallow depth underground, has a cylindrical shape and is made of epoxy laminate. It has a diameter of 2 meters and a length of 3 meters. The container is covered with about 1 meter thick ground layer.

Such a design keeps the temperature inside the container above 0°C (degrees Celsius) without necessity of heating during the whole year - the lowest temperature measured during the last 7 years was 2°C. Currently the station is equipped with two ELF receivers, each has a GPS synchronized clock and a power supply that enable 2 months of continues operation without recharging.