Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 12, 2013 at 05:10 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update August 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update August 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update August 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update August 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 July 28, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was very quiet on August 11. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 347 and 430 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 110.4 (decreasing 3.7 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.1). Three hour interval K indices: 11111111 (planetary), 21222211 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B4 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 7 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11809 [N12W78] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11814 [S26E10] was quiet and stable.
Region 11816 [S20E12] lost the leader spot and could soon become spotless.
Region 11817 [S21E23] developed quickly and has a well defined magnetic delta structure in the central spot section. M class flaring is likely. C5+ flares: C6.7 ar 21:31 and C8.4 at 21:58 UTC.
Region 11818 [S07E47] developed slowly and has polarity intermixing. C flares are possible.
Region 11819 [S19E37] was quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
New region S2598 [S12E84] rotated into view with two spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 9-11: 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 coronal hole (CH579) in the northern hemisphere will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on August 11-14.

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 fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on August 12-13. A high speed stream from CH579 could cause quiet to minor storm conditions on August 14-17.

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
11809 2013.07.30 1 2   N11W82 0010 HRX BXO

location: N12W78

11810 2013.07.31       S24W76           plage
S2585 2013.08.03       N13W56           plage
S2586 2013.08.03       N17W41           plage
S2587 2013.08.03       N24W55           plage
11813 2013.08.04
2013.08.07
5     S14W60 0020 BXO     spotless
11814 2013.08.06
2013.08.07
1 6 2 S27E09 0030 HAX HRX  
11816 2013.08.06
2013.08.07
  1   S22E07 0002   AXX location: S20E12
11817 2013.08.08
2013.08.10
12 34 18 S22E22 0050 DAO DAC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0350

11819 2013.08.09
2013.08.10
2 2 2 S20E37 0010 BXO CRO area: 0022
11818 2013.08.09
2013.08.10
9 17 9 S08E47 0060 DAO DAI beta-gamma

area: 0220

S2597 2013.08.10       S21W33         plage
S2598 2013.08.11   2   S12E84 0060   DSO    
Total spot count: 30 64 31  
Sunspot number: 90 134 71  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 48 85 47  (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): 54 47 39 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 (57.8 projected, -0.9) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (57.3 projected, -0.5) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (57.3 projected, 0.0) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (57.3 projected, 0.0) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 52.5 (57.6 projected, +0.3) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 57.0 (57.7 projected, +0.1) 9.47
2013.08 106.5 (1) 29.2 (2A) / 82.3 (2B) / 51.6 (2C) (57.6 projected, -0.1) (6.06)

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.