Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 2, 2014 at 04:50 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update July 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update July 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update July 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update July 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 1, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 4, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was very quiet on July 1. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 282 and 342 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 151.8 (increasing 46.4 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 134.3. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 3 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.6). Three hour interval K indices: 11100010 (planetary), 22111221 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B9 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 18 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 365) and 16 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 267) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12096 [N09W52] decayed quickly and was quiet.
Region 12097 [N12W43] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12100 [N10W00] gained a few spots and was mostly quiet.
Region 12102 [N13E32] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 12103 [S12E16] was quiet and stable.
Region 12104 [S10E39] developed a stronger magnetic delta centrally and remains capable of producing a major flare.
Region 12105 [S06W01] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12106 [N15E48] developed further and could produce C and minor M class flares.
Region 12107 [S20E49] was mostly unchanged and has a magnetic delta structure in the southwestern penumbra. An M class flare is possible.
New region 12108 [S08E69] rotated into view on June 30 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3599 [N04E29] was quiet and stable.
New region S3601 [S29W46] emerged quickly early in the day, then decayed slowly.
New region S3602 [S19W17] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3603 [N06E04] emerged early in the day and decayed slowly late in the day.
New region S3604 [S10W23] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3605 [N05W18] was observed with a penumbra spot.
New region S3606 [S09E84] rotated paritally into view with a large spot.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR
C4.8 (LDE) 06:08 N15E64 12106
C6.6 (LDE) 07:37 S19E64 12107
C2.1 09:11    
C6.0/1N 10:15 N15E58 12106
M1.4 (LDE) 11:23   12106

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 29 - July 1: 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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH625) was in an Earth facing position on June 30-July 1. Another small trans equatorial coronal hole (CH626) could rotate into an Earth facing position on July 5.

Coronal hole map

Propagation

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on July 2-4. On July 3-4 there is a chance of unsettled intervals if a stream from CH625 becomes geoeffective.

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: 0-30% probability, Yellow: 30-70% probability, Red: 70-100% 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 Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
12096 2014.06.21
2014.06.22
1 2 1 N09W51 0010 HSX HRX

 

12097 2014.06.22 3 3 3 N12W44 0010 HSX HRX  
12098 2014.06.23
2014.06.24
      S09W77           plage
12100 2014.06.25
2014.06.27
11 32 16 N09W02 0020 DAI DRI

location: N10W00

S3579 2014.06.26       S10W17           plage
12099 2014.06.26
2014.06.27
      S16W61           plage
12101 2014.06.26
2014.06.27
      S07W75           plage
12103 2014.06.26
2014.06.28
  2 2 S10E10 0006   BXO location: S12E16
S3583 2014.06.27       N00E19           plage
12102 2014.06.27
2014.06.28
8 27 17 N13E30 0050 DSI DAI

location: N13E32

area: 0090

12104 2014.06.28 16 43 26 S11E39 0410 DKC DKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0870

S3587 2014.06.28       S23W19           plage
12107 2014.06.28
2014.06.29
8 24 12 S20E46 0260 DHC DHC area: 0460

location: S20E49

S3590 2014.06.28       S23E36           plage
S3591 2014.06.28       S12E18           plage
S3592 2014.06.28       S11W18           plage
12105 2014.06.28
2014.06.29
3 5 3 S06W04 0010 BXO BXO locaton:S06W01
12106 2014.06.29 9 20 11 N15E46 0050 DAO DAI area: 0090
S3595 2014.06.29       N17W53           plage
S3596 2014.06.29       N08W58           plage
S3597 2014.06.30       S26W18         plage
12108 2014.06.30
2014.07.01
5 12 7 S08E68 0030 DAO DAI area: 0090
S3599 2014.06.30   4 2 N04E29 0015   BXO  
S3600 2014.06.30       S31W19         plage
S3601 2014.07.01   1 1 S29W46 0007   HRX    
S3602 2014.07.01   4 3 S19W17 0010   BXO    
S3603 2014.07.01   2 1 N06E04 0004   AXX    
S3604 2014.07.01   1 1 S10W23 0004   AXX    
S3605 2014.07.01   1   N05W18 0001   AXX    
S3606 2014.07.01   1 1 S09E84 0350   HHX    
S3607 2014.07.01   1   N19E26 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 64 185 107  
Sunspot number: 154 365 267  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 114 242 164  (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): 92 128 147 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number)

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2013.02 104.3 101.8 38.0 58.4 (-0.3) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 110.2 57.9 57.5 (-0.9) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 125.9 72.4 57.9 (+0.4) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 134.3 78.7 59.9 (+2.0) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 113.7 52.5 62.6 (+2.7) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 119.3 57.0 65.5 (+2.9) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 118.3 66.0 69.0 (+3.5) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 103.7 36.9 73.1 (+4.1) 5.23
2013.10  132.1 131.2 85.6 75.0 (+1.9) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 145.1 77.6 75.4 (+0.4) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 76.0 (+0.6) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 82.0 (76.9 projected, +0.9) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.8 (cycle peak) (76.7 projected, -0.2) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 92.2 (77.1 projected, +0.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (76.2 projected, -0.9) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (73.7 projected, -2.5) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (71.0 projected, -2.7) 6.7
2014.07 151.8 (1)   5.0 (2A) / 154 (2B) / 82.6 (2C) (68.3 projected, -2.7) (2.6)

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 WDC-SILSO 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 GFZ 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.