Summary
PhD candidate in Electrical & Computer Engineering at CRAAM/Mackenzie, Brazil. My research focuses on the atmospheric electric field (PG), the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit (GAEC), aerosols, dust storms, and space-weather forcing. I combine ground-based observations across South America with satellite datasets, statistical modeling, and development of the EGATEC model.
Alongside this research, I found and develop open scientific and civic platforms, including OpenMonitor and Chambica, as well as interactive tools for solar-data exploration and real-time environmental monitoring.
Education & Research Visits
PhD – Mackenzie Presbyterian University - CRAAM (Brazil)
Electrical & Computer Engineering · 2023–2027 (ongoing)Sandwich PhD Fellow – IG PAS (Poland)
Global Electric Circuit modeling (EGATEC) · Feb–Jul 2026-
IMCP Space Weather School 2025 – Haikou (China)
Lectures and training - Fully funded participant · Nov 2025 (1 week) Research Visitor – IG PAS (Poland)
EGATEC · May–Jun 2025Training Fellow – IG PAS (Poland)
EGATEC · Sep 2024 (15 days)BSc in Physics – UNICA (Peru)
2016–2022
Experience
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Engineering & Environmental Sanitation Services – CISSA SRL
Field Supervisor & Administrative Assistant · 2017–2023 · PeruSupervised environmental sanitation services across multiple cities; supported technical reports, certification, and logistics.
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Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) – Ica Station
Transmission Station Supervisor · 2020–2022 · PeruOperated HF transmission systems and the MAGDAS magnetometer; coordinated with Jicamarca Radio Observatory for preventive/corrective maintenance.
Technical & Scientific Projects
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OpenMonitor — Open-access scientific research platform
Founder, author, and maintainer. Browser-based platform for reproducible solar-flare inspection and live or archival atmospheric electric-field observations, integrating distributed institutional data sources.
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aireica.com — Real-time environmental monitoring
Full-stack design and deployment. Sensors: PG, PM1/2.5/10, wind, and RTSP video. Paracas alerts and interactive data exploration (Plotly). Private VPS (Linux), automated ingestion, and public visualization.
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GOES X-ray Viewer — XRS flux plotter (1995–Present)
Interactive viewer for historical GOES-08 - GOES-16 solar X-ray flux (XRS A/B). Features dynamic data loading, log-scale plotting, and flare class visualization.
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GOES Flare Explorer — Historical flare database (1975–Present)
Historical solar flare (GOES) data explorer since 1975. Allows filtering, sorting, and visualizing the complete NOAA event catalog (Classes A, B, C, M, X) in a fast and lightweight web interface.
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Atmospheric Electricity Monitor — Space Weather Perú
Live GOES-19 GLM lightning radar, six-hour discharge maps, Ica field-mill potential gradient, and regional cloud imagery. In production since May 2026.
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Chambica — AI-assisted local discovery for Ica
Founder. Mobile and web platform connecting residents and visitors with local services, professionals, places, and experiences through multilingual conversational discovery and appointment coordination.
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AFINSA — Electric-field network (2018–Present)
PG processing and analysis in Ica (PER), Atibaia and São Paulo (BRA), and Casleo (ARG). GLM integration to assess lightning distributions and their influence on PG; neural-network modeling.
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Additional Web Projects
Publications
Published
Peer-reviewed, in press- Romero, R., Tacza, J. A., Odzimek, A., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Recovery of a Carnegie-like diurnal signature of the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit from urban potential gradient measurements. Radio Science Letters. doi:10.46620/26-0091 URSI Young Scientist Award paper.
- Romero, R., Tacza, J. A., Odzimek, A., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Constraints on the interpretation of atmospheric potential gradient anomalies associated with earthquakes: Evidence from Peru and Argentina. Advances in Space Research. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2026.09.063
- Tacza, J., Li, G., Fu, S., Chen, T., Xu, E., Kubicki, M., Gonçalves Silva, H., Raulin, J.-P., Romero, R., Fernandez, G., Marun, A., & Samanes, J. (2026). The May 2024 geospace superstorm and its impact on the Global Electric Circuit worldwide. Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate. doi:10.1051/swsc/2026029
- Romero, R. M., Loayza, R., Huaman, G., Calderon, D., Buleje, Y., Arroyo, J., Tasayco, M., Torres, C., Tacza, J., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Electrical lead time during an extreme haboob-like dust-front intrusion in Ica, Peru. Atmospheric Research, 342, 109171. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109171
- Romero, R., Tacza, J., Vara-Vela, A., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Regime-dependent sensitivity of the atmospheric potential gradient to anthropogenic air pollution in São Paulo, Brazil. Atmospheric Research, 109002. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2026.109002
- Valio, A., Lopez, K., Gamonal, J., Romero, R., & Da Silva, D. (2025). Space weather impact of three solar flares observed by the POEMAS telescope at 45 and 90 GHz. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. doi:10.1029/2025JA034611
- Romero, R., Tacza, J., Arroyo, J., Prieto, F., Macotela, L., Buleje, Y., Loayza, R., Fernandez, U., & Raulin, J.-P. (2024). First results of the potential gradient variation in a tropical station in South America (Ica, Peru). Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2024.106198
Under review
Coauthored manuscript- Tacza, J., Romero, R., Arroyo, J., Buzas, A., & Bor, J. (2026). Long-term land observations reveal distinct daily patterns in potential gradient measurements. Atmospheric Research.
Ready for submission
Manuscript complete, in co-author review- Romero, R., Odzimek, A., Tacza, J., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Solar-cycle modulation of fair-weather surface air conductivity at Świder, Poland (1965–2000). Geophysical Research Letters — target venue.
- Romero, R. M., Arroyo, J., Tacza, J., Orosco, G., Bonifaz, M., Loayza, R., Buleje, Y., Tasayco, M., Torres, C., Almeyda, A., Prieto, F., Grazziani, L., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Sea-Breeze Electrification and Its Interruption by Southerly Flow in a Coastal Desert. Atmospheric Research — target venue.
In preparation
- Romero, R., et al. (2026). Solar OpenMonitor: a browser-native platform for reproducible multi-instrument solar flare inspection.
- Romero, R., Odzimek, A., Tacza, J., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Response of the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit to cloud generators and space weather forcing in the EGATEC model.
- Romero, R., Tacza, J. A., Odzimek, A., Szpigel, S., & Raulin, J.-P. (2026). Atmospheric potential gradient and ground-level gamma radiation during five solar eclipses at CASLEO, Argentina (2010–2024).
- Romero, R., et al. (2026). A decadal climatology of natural gamma radiation and the atmospheric potential gradient in Argentina.
- Romero, R., et al. (2026). GOES/XRS hot-onset solar flare statistics and SDO/AIA source attribution, 1995–2025.
- Perriyil, S., Romero, R., Giménez de Castro, C. G., & Simões, P. J. A. (2026). Improved Flare Anticipation Index (FAI) detection using GOES X-ray observations.
Academic Events
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URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium 2026 – Krakow, Poland
“Recovery of a Carnegie-like diurnal signature of the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit from urban potential gradient measurements”.
Oral presentation · August 2026 -
AGU Fall Meeting 2025 – Online (New Orleans, USA)
“Advancing the EGATEC Model: Improving Generator Schemes and Validation with Ground-Based Electric Field Observations”.
Poster presentation · December 2025 -
XI International Congress and XIII National Congress of Research – CONINTI 2025 (Ica, Peru)
“Integrated Climate Monitoring in Ica: Air Quality Analysis and Early Warning of Dust Storms Using Atmospheric Electric Field Measurements and Meteorological Parameters”.
Poster presentation · Coauthor · December 2025 -
XIII International Congress on Technology and Innovation & XVI International Congress on Competencies and Multidisciplinarity – CITICI / COINCOM 2025 (Cartagena de Indias, Colombia)
“Integrated climate monitoring and early warning of dust storms in Ica - Peru”.
Oral presentation · Coauthor · November 2025 -
1st National Congress of Pure and Applied Sciences – CONACIPA 2025 (Ica - Peru)
"Monitoring of the Atmospheric Electric Field in South America: Advances and Applications".
Oral presentation · October 2025 -
Academic Week of Space Geophysics (INPE - Brazil)
"Atmospheric Electricity Research at CRAAM: Toward Regional and Global Applications".
Oral presentation · September 2025 -
IAGA/IASPEI Joint Scientific Assembly 2025 (Lisbon, Portugal)
Symposium A11: AC–DC Global Circuit for Atmospheric Remote Sensing
“Potential gradient as a proxy for anthropogenic air pollution in São Paulo, Brazil”.
Oral presentation · September 2025 -
Keynote Lecture - Faculty of Science, UNICA (Peru)
“Global Electric Circuit and Academic Perspectives in Geospatial Sciences”.
Oral presentation (Invited) · August 2025 -
Scientific Seminar – UNMSM (Lima, Peru)
“Air quality analysis for early warning of dust storms through climate monitoring in Ica”.
Oral presentation (Invited) · July 2025 -
Workshop “Atmospheric Discharges in Dynamic Environments” (Bath, UK)
Odzimek A., Tacza J., Romero R., et al. “The thunderstorm generator in the EGATEC model of the GEC”.
Oral presentation (Coauthor) · June 2025 -
Academic Week of Space Geophysics (INPE – Brazil)
“The Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit: An overview from the AFINSA network”.
Oral presentation · November 2024 -
São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Solar Activity (CRAAM – Brazil)
“Modeling the impact of space weather and local effects on the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit”.
Poster presentation · November 2024 -
PolGEC Workshop 2024 (IG PAS – Poland)
“Neural Network-Based Prediction of the Potential Gradient: Insights from Peru, Argentina, and Brazil”.
Poster presentation · September 2024 -
International Scientific Meeting – ECI 2023 (Peru)
“Analysis of local and global effects in the variation of the atmospheric electric field in Ica – Peru”.
Oral presentation · August 2023 -
XII Latin American Conference on Space Geophysics – COLAGE (Chile)
“Status of Activities on Space Weather Research in Ica – Peru”.
Poster presentation · November 2021 -
XXVIII Peruvian Physics Symposium – Trujillo (Peru)
“Preliminary Results of Atmospheric Electric Field Study and its Variation in the City of Ica”.
Poster presentation · November 2019 -
International Space Weather Initiative Workshop (Italy)
“Recent activities for space weather research in Ica – Peru”.
Poster presentation (Coauthor) · May 2019