Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on April 19, 2012 at 04:35 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 18, 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 18. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 393 and 455 km/s under the influence of a stream from CH513.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 121.5 (increasing 19.1 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 14 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 14.0). Three hour interval K indices: 44322223 (planetary), 33212222 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B5 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 12 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11459 [S16E29] developed further and was mostly quiet. An M class flare is possible. A weak magnetic delta structure appears to have formed in the central part.
Region 11460 [N16E14] developed further adding spots and penumbral area. A minor M class flare is possible.
Region 11461 [N12E52] was quiet and stable.
Region 11462 [S24W19] developed slowly and was mostly quiet.
New region 11463 [S26W36] emerged in the southwest quadrant on April 17 and developed quickly on April 18 when it was numbered by SWPC. There are several small magnetic delta structures in the central part of the region. A minor M class flare is possible. Flares: C3.1 at 03:07, C1.5 at 11:44, C8.9 at 12:39, C5.9/1N at 15:13, C5.3 at 17:06 UTC.

Spotted active regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
S1591
[S26E12] decayed slowly and quietly.
S1595 [S27W14] was quiet and stable.
New region S1598 [N13E44] emerged between CH514 and AR 11461.
New region S1599 [S25E24] emerged to the southwest of AR 11459.
New region S1600 [N23E14] emerged in the northeast quadrant.
New region S1601 [N08E08] emerged in the northeast quadrant.
New region S1602 [S27E47] emerged with a small spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

April 18: A small CME associated with a C8 event in region 11463 appears to be potentially geoeffective.
April 17
: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
April 16: A partial halo CME was observed after the M1 event in region 11461. There's a chance of a flank CME impact on April 19.

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 coronal hole (CH514) in the northern hemisphere will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on April 21.

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 fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on April 19-20. The CME observed on April 18 could reach Earth on April 21 and cause quiet to active conditions.

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
11454 2012.04.09
2012.04.10
      S12W42           plage
S1575 2012.04.10       S27W45           plage
S1581 2012.04.12       N05W34         plage
11457 2012.04.12
2012.04.13
      N20W25        

location: N22W20

S1583 2012.04.13       S31W30           plage
S1585 2012.04.13       S21W52           plage
11458 2012.04.14       N06E11        

plage

location: N08E18

11459 2012.04.14 20 63 26 S16E28 0260 EKC EAC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0550

11462 2012.04.14
2012.04.17
7 13 6 S24W18 0030 CAO DAO  
11460 2012.04.15
2012.04.16
13 30 13 N16E12 0170 DSI DSI

area: 0450

location: N16E14

S1591 2012.04.16   2   S26E12 0000   AXX  
11461 2012.04.16
2012.04.17
1 2 1 N13E50 0090 HSX HAX area: 0050
S1593 2012.04.16       N16W10         plage
S1594 2012.04.16       S14W09           plage
S1595 2012.04.17   1   S27W14 0000   AXX  
S1596 2012.04.17       N08W52         plage
11463 2012.04.17
2012.04.18
5 16 10 S26W36 0040 DSO DAI beta-gamma-delta

area: 0140

S1598 2012.04.18   3 2 N13E44 0010   BXO    
S1599 2012.04.18   7 2 S25E24 0010   BXO    
S1600 2012.04.18   2 1 N23E14 0000   BXO    
S1601 2012.04.18   1   N08E08 0000   AXX    
S1602 2012.04.18   1   S27E47 0000   AXX    
Total spot count: 46 141 65  
Sunspot number: 96 261 145  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 76 166 90  (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): 58 91 80 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
2012.04 101.3 (1) 31.9 (2A) / 53.2 (2B) (74.9 projected, +1.0) (12.00)

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.