Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on April 6, 2012 at 06:45 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update April 1, 2012)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update April 1, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update April 1, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update April 1, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated April 1, 2012]
Annotated geomagnetic activity charts - Carrington rotation 2118 [December 2011 - January 2012] - 2119 [January-February 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on April 5. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 281 and 366 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 100.9 (decreasing 44.6 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 18 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 18.5). Three hour interval K indices: 34443322 (planetary), 33453312 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B2 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 8 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11450 [N14W33] added weak magnetic delta structures to the leader penumbra and a central penumbra. A minor M class flare is possible. Flares: C3.1/1F at 16:24, long duration C1.5 peaking at 21:10 (associated with weak type II and IV radio sweeps and a CME), and C1.1 at 23:53 UTC.
Region 11451 [N15W07] decayed and could become spotless today.
Region 11452 [N17E05] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11453 [S17W41] reemerged with a tiny spot.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
[S1565] rotated into view at the northeast limb on April 4. Location at midnight: N23E64
[S1567] emerged in the southeast quadrant on April 5. Location at midnight: S26E26
[S1568] emerged in the southwest quadrant on April 5. Location at midnight: S13W09
[S1569] emerged in the northwest quadrant on April 5. Location at midnight: N22W07

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

April 3-4: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
April 5: A CME associated with the C1 LDE in AR 11450 may have had Earth directed extensions.

Coronal holes

Coronal hole history (since October 2002)
Compare today's report to the situation one solar rotation ago: 28 days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago

A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH512) will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on April 9.

Coronal hole map

The above coronal hole map is based on a method where coronal holes are detected automatically. While the method may need some fine tuning, it has significant advantages over detecting coronal holes manually. The main improvement is the ability to detect coronal holes at and just beyond the solar limbs. Early results using this method for SDO images over a span of several weeks indicate a good match between coronal holes observed over the visible disk and their extent and position at the east and west limbs. Note that the polar coronal holes are easily detected using this method, the extent and intensity of both CHs are consistent with other data sources.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over high and upper middle latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on April 6-7. On April 8 or 9 the CME observed on April 5 could reach Earth and cause some unsettled and active intervals.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejection (2) M and X class flares (3)
     

1) Effects from a coronal hole could reach Earth within the next 5 days. When the high speed stream has arrived the color changes to green.
2) Effects from a CME are likely to be observed at Earth within 96 hours.
3) There is a possibility of either M or X class flares within the next 48 hours.

Green: 0-20% probability, Yellow: 20-60% probability, Red: 60-100% probability.

Active solar regions

Click on image for higher resolution image) Compare to the previous day's image

When available the active region map has a coronal hole polarity overlay where red (pink) is negative and blue (blue-green) is positive.

Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC. Comments are my own, as is the STAR spot count (spots observed at or inside a few hours before midnight) and data for regions not numbered by SWPC or where SWPC has observed no spots. SWPC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SWPC/USAF numbers.

Active region Date numbered
detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
11448 2012.03.26
2012.03.28
      S17W55         plage

location: S18W47

11453 2012.03.27
2012.04.02
  1   S17W42 0000   AXX    
11450 2012.03.30
2012.03.31
14 32 22 N15W31 0130 ESI EAI beta-gamma-delta

location: N14W33

area: 0350

11451 2012.03.30
2012.03.31
  3   N17W17 0000   AXX

location: N15W07

11452 2012.03.31
2012.04.02
5 6 3 N18E05 0030 DRO CRO  
S1563 2012.03.31       N26W48           plage
S1565 2012.04.04   1 1 N23E64 0010   AXX  
S1566 2012.04.04       S27W37         plage
S1567 2012.04.05   1 1 S26E26 0000   AXX    
S1568 2012.04.05   2 1 S13W09 0000   AXX    
S1569 2012.04.05   2 1 N22W07 0010   BXO    
Total spot count: 19 48 29  
Sunspot number: 39 128 89  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 27 56 37  (Sum of total spot count + classification weighting for each AR. Classification weighting: X=0, R=3, A/S=5, H/K=10)
Relative sunspot number (Wolf number): 23 45 49 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 (changed from 0.45 on March 1, 2011) for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average measured solar flux International sunspot number (SIDC) Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
2008.07 65.7 (SF minimum) 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
 
2011.01 83.6 19.1 31.0 (+2.2) 5.51
2011.02 94.6 29.4 33.4 (+2.4)  6.44
2011.03 115.0 56.2 36.9 (+3.5) 8.18
2011.04 112.6 54.4 41.8 (+4.9) 8.83
2011.05 95.8 41.6 47.6 (+5.8) 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 53.2 (+5.6) 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.9 57.2 (+4.0) 8.16
2011.08 101.7 50.6 59.0 (+1.8) 7.26
2011.09 133.8 78.0 59.5 (+0.5) 12.27
2011.10 137.3 88.0 (60.1 projected, +0.6) 8.28
2011.11 153.5 96.7 (61.6 projected, +1.5) 5.55
2011.12 141.3 73.0 (64.3 projected, +2.7) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 (67.8 projected, +3.5) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 33.1 (71.8 projected, +4.0) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.2 (73.9 projected, +2.1) 16.08
2012.04 103.9 (1) 9.3 (2A) / 55.6 (2B) (74.9 projected, +1.0) (11.78)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days). The official SIDC international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower. 2B) Month average to date.
3) Running average based on the quicklook Potsdam WDC ap indices. Values in red are based on the definitive international Potsdam WDC ap indices.

This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based on analysis of data from whatever sources are available at the time the report is prepared. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.