Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on March 4, 2011 at 05:45 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update March 2, 2011)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update March 2, 2011)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update March 2, 2011)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update March 1, 2011)]

[POES auroral activity level charts since October 2009 - updated March 1, 2011]
Annotated geomagnetic activity charts - Carrington rotation 2105 [Dec-Jan.2011] - 2106 [Jan.-Feb.2011] NEW

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on March 3 under the influence of a high speed stream from CH438.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 120.9 (increasing 38.8 over the last solar rotation). The planetary A index  was 12 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 12.5). Three hour interval K indices: 33423233 (planetary), 33432233 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 8 spotted regions.

Region 11163 was quiet and stable.
Region 11164 still does not exhibit a complex magnetic layout, however, an increase in flare activity late in the day is interesting. The largest penumbra lost some area as several spots split off in the western part. A major flare is possible. Flares: C1.2 at 11:34, C5.4/1N at 14:19, C1.2 at 19:36, C2.7 at 20:50, C2.0 at 23:34 and C2.1 at 23:58 UTC.
Region 11165 decayed further and could soon become spotless.
Region 11166 was mostly quiet but should be capable of producing an M class flare.
New region 11167 emerged in the northeast quadrant on March 2 and was numbered by NOAA/SWPC the next day.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
[S891] This region emerged in the southwest quadrant on March 3. Location at midnight: S17W27.
[S892] A new region emerged in the northwest quadrant on March 3. Location at midnight: N24W56
[S893] Tiny spots emerged in a plage area in the northeast quadrant on March 3. Location at midnight: N18E21

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

March 1-2: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
March 3: A partial halo CME was observed in LASCO and STEREO images after 05:30. There was no apparent filament eruption and the source of this CME appears to have been to the southeast of the center of the visible disk.

Coronal holes

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

No significant coronal holes are currently in or near an Earth facing position.

The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

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 fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on March 4 due to effects from CH438, isolated active intervals are possible. Quiet conditions are likely on March 5. On March 6 or 7 there is a chance the CME observed on March 3 will cause some unsettled and active intervals.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejections (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 polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
11163 2011.02.24   7 N17W23 0000   AXX location: N19W17
11164 2011.02.25 21 49 N25W06 0470 EKC FHI beta-gamma

 

11165 2011.02.26
2011.02.25
5 3 S19W26 0010 BXO AXX location: S23W21
S888 2011.02.28     S17W36           plage
11166 2011.03.02 3 15 N09E65 0140 DSO DHO area: 0400

location: N08E67

11167 2011.03.02
2011.03.03
2 8 N14E31 0010 BXO CRO formerly region S890

location: N14E33

S891 2011.03.03   8 S17W27 0010   BXO    
S892 2011.03.03   3 N24W56 0010   BXO    
S893 2011.03.03   2 N18E21 0000   AXX    
Total spot count: 31 95  
Sunspot number: 71 175  

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
3.25
2009.12 76.7 10.8 8.3 (+0.7) 1.41 / 1.92
2010.01 81.1 13.2 9.3 (+1.0) 2.93 / 3.07
2010.02 84.7 18.8 10.6 (+1.3) 4.15 / 4.61
2010.03 83.4 15.4 12.3 (+1.7) 4.58 / 4.65
2010.04 75.9 8.0 14.0 (+1.7) 10.22 / 10.24
2010.05 73.8 8.7 15.5 (+1.5) 9.18 / 8.15
2010.06 72.5 13.6 16.4 (+0.9) 8.17 / 6.85
2010.07 79.8 16.1 16.8 (+0.4) 6.31 / 5.15
2010.08 79.2 19.6 17.4 (+0.6) 8.49 / 7.77
2010.09 81.1 25.2 (18.5 predicted, +1.1) 5.33 / 5.45
2010.10 81.6 23.5 (20.1 predicted, +1.6) 6.07 / 6.27
2010.11 82.5 21.6 (21.9 predicted, +1.8) 4.80 / 5.50
2010.12 84.2 14.5 (23.6 predicted, +1.7) 3.41 / 4.35
2011.01 83.6 19.1 (25.4 predicted, +1.8) 4.32
2011.02 94.6 29.4 (27.0 predicted, +1.6) 5.41
2011.03 114.9 (1) 7.3 (2A) / 75.3 (2B) (28.9 predicted, +1.9) (20.0)

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 preliminary daily SWPC ap indices. Values in red are based on the official NGDC 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.