About Me

I am a Senior Data Scientist based at SkySpecs in Dublin. Today I am working on wind turbines and green energy! Previously, I was a physicist based at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA. There I researched large space weather events and the risk they pose to grounded networks. This involved simulating geomagnetic superstorms (using the Space Weather Modeling Framework), as well as researching historical geomagnetic storm events from the 19th and 20th centuries.

I am experienced with geophysical modeling, manipulating and visualising large amounts of data, machine learning and scientific computing (mainly Python). I also have experience teaching computing and physics to students of all ages. You can find my resume and academic CV here (not up to date!).

This is my personal page, where you can find my: Experience, Education, Publications. Here is an updated presentation I give to students about my (previous) job!

Experience

Senior Data Scientist, SkySpecs, Dec 2021 - Present
Postdoctoral Researcher, NASA GSFC, 2018-2021
- Based in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center with the Catholic University of America. Researching extreme geomagnetic storm dynamics, historical superstorms, the extent of the auroral oval and localized geoelectric field enhancements.
Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin, 2017-2018
- Gathered and processed magnetotelluric data around Ireland as part of SWEMDI: the Space Weather Electromagnetic Database for Ireland.
Director of CodifyDublin.com, 2016-2018
- Founded Codify Ltd. with fellow postgraduate students, which provided data science and computer programming workshops in Dublin.
- Designed curriculum, organised classes and taught approximately 150 students.
Workshop Leader with Student2Scientist.org, 2014-2016
- Ran educational computer science and physics workshops in Trinity College Dublin for secondary level students and teachers.
- Produced Junior Cert. Short Course curriculum for secondary level teachers.
Summer Intern with DIAS Geophysics Section, 2013
- Surveyed locations, installed equipment and analysed geomagnetic data as part of the IRETHERM magnetotelluric geothermal energy project.

Education

PhD in Physics, TCD, 2013-2017
- Completed in Trinity College Dublin, funded by Eirgrid and the IRC. My thesis ‘Modelling and Monitoring Geomagnetically Induced Currents in Ireland’ was the first detailed study of the Irish power network and its vulnerability to space weather events.
Postgraduate Certificate in Statistics, TCD, 2014-2015
- 35 ECTS course on frequentist statistics
B.A. Mod, Physics with Astrophysics, TCD, 2009-2013
- Completed in Trinity College Dublin, graded II.I.

Publications

Hayakawa,H., Nevanlinna, H., Blake, S.P., Ebihara, Y., Bhaskar, A.T., Miyoshi, Y., (2021), Temporal Variations of the Three Geomagnetic Field Components at Colaba Observatory around the Carrington Storm in 1859, The Astrophysical Journal, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac2601
Hayakawa, H., Oliveira, D.M., Shea, M.A., Smart, D.F., Blake, S.P., Hattori, K., Bhaskar, A.T., Curto, J.J., Franco, D.R., Ebihara, Y. (2021), The Extreme Solar and Geomagnetic Storms on 20-25 March 1940, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3615
Mate, A., Barnes, A.K., Morley, S.K., Friz-Trillo, J.A., Cotilla-Sanchez, E., Blake, S.P. (2021) Relaxation Based Modeling of GMD Induced Cascading Failures in PowerModelsGMD.jl, IEEEE/PES 53RD NA Power Symposium Conference Paper, https://doi.org/10.1109/NAPS52732.2021.9654450
Blake, S.P., Pulkkinen, A., Schuck, P.W., Glocer, A., Oliveira, D.M., Welling, D., Weigel, R.S., Quaresima, G., (2021). Recreating the Horizontal Magnetic Field at Colaba during the Carrington Event with Geospace Simulations, Space Weather, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020SW002585
Blake, S.P., Pulkkinen, A., Schuck, P.W., Glocer, A., Tóth, G. (2020). Estimating Maximum Extent of Auroral Equatorward Boundary using Historical and Simulated Surface Magnetic Field Data, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028284
Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Modeling for the Further Understanding of Geoelectric Field Enhancements and Auroral Behavior During Geomagnetic Disturbance Events, 2020 report for the Electric Power Research Institute.
Hayakawa, H., Blake, S.P., Bhaskar, A., Hattori, K., Oliveira, D.M., Ebihara, Y. (2020). The Extreme Space Weather Event in February/March 1941. The Astrophysical Journal, Accepted for Publication, https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.00452
Bhaskar, A., Hayakawa, H., Oliveira, D. M., Blake, S. P., Silverman, S. M., & Ebihara, Y. (2020). An analysis of the Trouvelot’s Auroral Drawing on 1/2 March 1872: Plausible Evidence for Recurrent Geomagnetic Storms. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125, e2020JA028227. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028227
Marsal, S., Torta, J. M., Pavón‐Carrasco, F. J., Blake, S. P., & Piersanti, M. (2020). Including the Temporal Dimension in the SECS Technique, Space Weather, 0–2. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020SW002491
Blake, S. P., Pulkkinen, A., Schuck, P. W., Nevanlinna, H., Reale, O., Veenadhari, B., Mukherjee, S. (2020). Magnetic Field Measurements from Rome during the August‐September 1859 Storms, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, (September), 1–54. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019ja027336
Campanyà, J., Gallagher, P. T., Blake, S. P., Gibbs, M., Jackson, D., Beggan, C. D., Richardson, G.S., Hogg, C. (2019). Modeling Geoelectric Fields in Ireland and the UK for Space Weather Applications. Space Weather, 17(2), 216–237. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW001999
Blake, S. P., Gallagher, P. T., Campanyà, J., Hogg, C., Beggan, C. D., Thomson, A. W. P., Richardson, G.S., Bell, D. (2018). A Detailed Model of the Irish High Voltage Power Network for Simulating GICs. Space Weather, 16(11), 1770–1783. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW001926
Blake, S. P. (2017). Modelling and Monitoring Geomagnetically Induced Currents in Ireland. PhD Thesis, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Link
Blake, S. P., Gallagher, P. T., McCauley, J., Jones, A. G., Hogg, C., Campanyà, J., Beggan, C.D., Thomson, A.W.P., Kelly, G.S., Bell, D. (2016). Geomagnetically induced currents in the Irish power network during geomagnetic storms. Space Weather, 14(12), 1136–1154. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016SW001534