Schumann Pulse
The Schumann Pulse chart lab
A taller peak, a different frequency and a brighter colour tell different stories. Explore four interactive lessons, then bring that understanding to a real station chart.
Original teaching models · no live readings · reviewed 22 October 2026
Frequency (Hz)
Reference: 8 Hz centre · 2 Hz full width · peak power 1.
Isolated power peak above a removed background; not a station recording.
Move the power up or down. The peak stays at 8 Hz, with a full half-power width of 2 Hz.
What this tells you
Peak power is 1.6 times the reference. The centre remains 8 Hz and full half-power width remains 2 Hz. Q stays at 4.
Understand Schumann spikesThis example shows a power increase. The four lessons below explain what each chart feature means.
01 / Strength
A power peak can get taller while its centre frequency stays fixed. In this lesson only relative power changes. Amplitude and power are different quantities; always use the convention and units stated on a real chart.
What does a spike mean? ↗02 / Frequency
Moving the centre sideways changes frequency. Our example keeps power and full width fixed at 2 Hz. Q changes as a consequence, because it is the centre frequency divided by that width.
Understand the frequency bands ↗03 / Width
At an 8 Hz centre, a full half-power width of 2 Hz gives Q = 4. Narrow the width to 1 Hz and Q becomes 8. Here the background is removed and the peak is isolated. Real spectra require fitting and a stated convention.
Explore quality factor ↗04 / Colour
Both heatmaps use exactly the same invented samples. Lowering the colour ceiling makes more cells white. No values change and none disappear. This shows a display limit, not evidence of an overloaded instrument.
Read whiteouts and blackouts ↗This is a learning tool, not a simulation of today’s Earth–ionosphere cavity. A single smooth peak makes one relationship easier to see. The reference stays fixed so that each adjustment has a clear comparison.
The isolated power curve is P(f) = H / [1 + 4((f − f₀) / Δf)²]. H is relative peak power, f₀ is the centre and Δf is the full width at half power. The spectrum axes remain 4–12 Hz and 0–2 relative power units.
The colour lesson uses a fixed 20 × 24 grid of invented values. Its frequency and hour labels provide teaching context only. White represents values at or above the chosen colour ceiling; the reference ceiling is 100. It does not model missing data or instrument saturation.
For the research behind the peak-width convention, see the sources in our Q guide. For real measurement limitations, read how stations record the signal.
Curious about the other charts? Explore Kp, Dst and Bz in the space-weather lab ↗
Put it into practice
Explore available station readings with their source and measurement time. A station chart describes an observation; it does not explain why you feel a certain way.
See current readingsYour own perspective
Schumann Pulse brings environmental observations together with your journal. Record feelings, optional energy and sleep-quality ratings, then revisit suitable comparisons as your history grows.
See what you can track ↗Coming soon for iPhone. History and personal comparisons live in the app.