Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 3, 2013 at 02:40 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update September 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update September 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update September 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update September 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update August 4, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated August 20, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on September 2. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 353 and 490 km/s. A distinct transition in solar wind data was observed at 01:31 UTC at SOHO, probably the arrival of the CME observed on August 30. ACE EPAM data supports this interpretation and that the passage of a CME continued all day. Magnetically the associated disturbance was weak.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 105.6 (increasing 1.7 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 8 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 8.3). Three hour interval K indices: 23322111 (planetary), 24433221 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B23 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 6 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11834 [N12W50] displayed no major changes and remained quiet.
Region 11835 [S09W40] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11836 [N11W10] decayed in the trailing spot section while there is minor polarity intermixing near the large penumbra.
New region 11837 [S16W19] emerged on August 31 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later. The region developed quickly on September 2 and could produce C flares.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2639 [S14W49] decayed slowly and quietly.
S2654 [N07W42] emerged with a penumbra spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 31-September 2: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.

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 (CH583) was in an Earth facing position on August 31 and September 1.

Coronal hole map

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 September 3-4 due to effects from CH583 and quiet on September 5-6.

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 2K resolution) Compare to the previous day's image. 0.5k image

When available the active region map has a coronal hole polarity overlay where red (pink) is negative and blue 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
11834 2013.08.23
2013.08.24
19 39 13 N12W50 0090 DAI DRI

beta-gamma

11835 2013.08.24 3 3 3 S10W41 0110 CSO HSX

location: S09W26

area: 0170

S2633 2013.08.24       S10W47           plage
11836 2013.08.26
2013.08.27
13 40 13 N11W05 0160 ESO CSO images/AR_11836_20130902_2345.png beta-gamma

location: N11W10

S2639 2013.08.26   1   S13W49 0002   AXX  
S2643 2013.08.27       N03W53           plage
S2645 2013.08.29       N33W04           plage
S2646 2013.08.30       S13E25           plage
S2647 2013.08.30       S13W09           plage
S2648 2013.08.30       N42E21           plage
S2649 2013.08.31       S04E04           plage
11837 2013.08.31
2013.09.02
9 24 11 S17W06 0050 DSO DAI area: 0160
S2651 2013.09.01       N20E29         plage
S2652 2013.09.01       S22W26         plage
S2653 2013.09.01       N10W20         plage
S2654 2013.09.01   1   N07W42 0002   AXX  
Total spot count: 44 108 40  
Sunspot number: 84 168 80  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 64 126 58  (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): 50 59 44 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 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)
2011.11 153.5 (cycle peak) 96.7 (cycle peak) 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4)
likely cycle 24 max
8.81
2012.05 121.5 69.0 61.7 (-2.9) 7.06
2012.06 119.6 64.5 58.9 (-2.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 57.8 (-1.1) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.0 58.2 (+0.4) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.4 58.1 (-0.1) 8.07
2012.10 123.3 53.3 58.6 (+0.5) 9.97
2012.11 121.3 61.8 59.7 (+1.1) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 40.8 59.6 (-0.1) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 58.7 (-0.9) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 58.4 (-0.3) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (58.2 projected, -0.2) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (57.9 projected, -0.3) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (58.0 projected, +0.1) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 52.5 (58.3 projected, +0.3) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 57.0 (58.3 projected, 0.0) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 66.0 (58.2 projected, -0.1) 7.86
2013.09 104.7 (1) 5.2 (2A) / 77.5 (2B) / 56.5 (2C) (57.8 projected, -0.4) (8.5)

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) Boulder SN current month average to date. 2C) STAR SDO 1K Wolf number 30 day average.
3) Running average based on the quicklook and definitive 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 the 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.