2026 Robert L. McPherron: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	91	250	212	137	115	354	29248
Physics	91	2176	2070	1108	1036	380	29724

Research.com Recognitions

2025 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
1995 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Overview

Robert L. McPherron is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States. Their research primarily focuses on physics and astronomy, with a significant concentration on ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics as well as solar and space plasma dynamics.

Their work spans multiple subfields, including astronomy and astrophysics, molecular biology, geophysics, atmospheric science, and demography. The scientist's research topics include:

Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
Solar and space plasma dynamics
Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism studies
Earthquake detection and analysis
Atmospheric ozone and climate
Insurance, mortality, demography, risk management
Economic and technological developments in Russia

McPherron's publications are concentrated in several venues, most notably the Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics with seven publications. Other venues include Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, Space Weather, and Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists.

Their recent papers include:

"Mesoscale phenomena and their contribution to the global response: a focus on the magnetotail transition region and magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling," 2023, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
"Magnetotail Flux Accumulation Leads to Substorm Current Wedge Formation: A Case Study," 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics
"Characteristics of Substorm-Onset-Related and Nonsubstorm Earthward Fast Flows and Associated Magnetic Flux Transport: THEMIS Observations," 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics
"The Relation of N-S Auroral Streamers to Auroral Expansion," 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics
"Characteristics of Reconnection Sites and Fast Flow Channels in an MHD Simulation," 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics

Frequent coauthors in their work include:

R. J. Walker
Jiang Liu
Xiangning Chu
J. M. Weygand
Jacob Bortnik

Robert L. McPherron was awarded the Fellowship of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 1995.

Best Publications

An empirical relationship between interplanetary conditions and Dst

R. K. Burton;R. L. McPherron;C. T. Russell

1668
Citations
Satellite studies of magnetospheric substorms on August 15, 1968: 9. Phenomenological model for substorms

R. L. McPherron;C. T. Russell;M. P. Aubry

1478
Citations
Semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity

C. T. Russell;R. L. McPherron

1271
Citations
Neutral line model of substorms: Past results and present view

D. N. Baker;T. I. Pulkkinen;V. Angelopoulos;W. Baumjohann

1229
Citations
Corotating solar wind streams and recurrent geomagnetic activity: A review

Bruce T. Tsurutani;Bruce T. Tsurutani;Walter D. Gonzalez;Alicia L. C. Gonzalez;Fernando L. Guarnieri

776
Citations
The magnetotail and substorms

C. T. Russell;R. L. McPherron

688
Citations
Growth phase of magnetospheric substorms

Robert L. McPherron

571
Citations
Magnetospheric substorms-definition and signatures

G. Rostoker;S.-I. Akasofu;J. Foster;R.A. Greenwald

513
Citations
An empirical phase space analysis of ring current dynamics: Solar wind control of injection and decay

T. Paul O'Brien;Robert L. McPherron

491
Citations
Current understanding of magnetic storms: storm-substorm relationships

Y. Kamide;W. Baumjohann;I. A. Daglis;W. D. Gonzalez

473
Citations
Magnetospheric impulse response for many levels of geomagnetic activity

L. F. Bargatze;D. N. Baker;R. L. McPherron;E. W. Hones

462
Citations
Decay of the Dst field of geomagnetic disturbance after substorm onset and its implication to storm-substorm relation

T. Iyemori;D. R. K. Rao

405
Citations
Linear prediction filter analysis of relativistic electron properties at 6.6 R E

D. N. Baker;R. L. McPherron;T. E. Cayton;R. W. Klebesadel

329
Citations
Which magnetic storms produce relativistic electrons at geosynchronous orbit

T. P. O'Brien;R. L. McPherron;D. Sornette;G. D. Reeves

315
Citations
Global simulation of the Geospace Environment Modeling substorm challenge event

J. Raeder;R. L. McPherron;L. A. Frank;S. Kokubun

305
Citations
Mapping the local time‐universal time development of magnetospheric substorms using mid‐latitude magnetic observations

C. Robert Clauer;Robert L. McPherron

274
Citations
Substorm Current Wedge Revisited

Larry. Kepko;R. L. McPherron;O. Amm;S. Apatenkov

269
Citations
Geomagnetic storms driven by ICME- and CIR-dominated solar wind

Michael H. Denton;Michael H. Denton;Joseph E. Borovsky;R. M. Skoug;M. F. Thomsen

263
Citations
Substorm and interplanetary magnetic field effects on the geomagnetic tail lobes

Michael N. Caan;Robert L. McPherron;Christopher T. Russell

259
Citations
Triggering of substorms by solar wind discontinuities

S. Kokubun;R. L. McPherron;C. T. Russell

257
Citations
Physical processes producing magnetospheric substorms and magnetic storms.

R. L. McPherron

252
Citations
Satellite studies of magnetospheric substorms on August 15, 1968. IX - Phenomenological model for substorms.

R. L. Mcpherron;C. T. Russell;M. P. Aubry

15
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Daniel N. Baker University of Colorado Boulder

Christopher T. Russell University of California, Los Angeles

Margaret G. Kivelson University of California, Los Angeles

Vassilis Angelopoulos University of California, Los Angeles

Tuija Pulkkinen University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Krishan K. Khurana University of California, Los Angeles

Howard J. Singer National Weather Service

Wolfgang Baumjohann Austrian Academy of Sciences

André Balogh Imperial College London

Geoffrey D. Reeves Los Alamos National Laboratory

External Links

Personal website of Robert L. McPherron

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