Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 9, 2014 at 04:45 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 July 5, 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 quiet on July 8. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 287 and 342 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 201.4 (increasing 33.0 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 138.5. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.6). Three hour interval K indices: 11112222 (planetary), 11222412 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 18 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 400) and 16 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 278) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12104 [S12W53] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12106 [N14W47] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12107 [S19W40] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 12108 [S07W26] still has a weak magnetic delta structure in the northwestern part of the large trailing penumbra. A major flare is possible.
Region 12109 [S08W06] saw no major changes. A major flare is still possible.
Region 12110 [S16W22] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12111 [N06E11] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 12113 [N09E50] gained many spots as new flux emerged. Further M class flaring is possible.
New region 12114 [S20E67] rotated into view on July 7 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.
New region 12115 [N07W38] emerged on July 6 with SWPC numbering the region 2 days later.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3609 [S14W41] was quiet and stable.
S3618 [N17E15] reemerged with penumbra spots.
S3622 [S22E06] was quiet and stable.
S3626 [S08W79] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S3630 [S28E69] emerged with a few spots.
New region S3631 [S15E62] emerged with penumbra spots to the northwest of AR 12114.
New region S3632 [S16E28] was observed with a penumbra spot.
New region S3633 [N15E33] emerged with a penumbra spot.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR
C4.0 09:02   12113
M6.5/2B 16:20 N12E56 12113
C2.3 21:36   12107

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 6-8: 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 (CH626) was in 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 9 with a chance of unsettled intervals due to possible effects from CH626. On July 10-11 quiet conditions are likely.

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
12103 2014.06.26
2014.06.28
      S08W82         SWPCs position is that of AR S3626

real location: S14W85

12102 2014.06.27
2014.06.28
      N11W65         plage
12104 2014.06.28 8 18 7 S12W53 0160 DSO DAO area: 0190
12107 2014.06.28
2014.06.29
3 9 4 S18W41 0200 CSO CHO  

area: 0270

location: S19W40

S3590 2014.06.28       S23W55           plage
12106 2014.06.29 3 9 5 N15W48 0090 HSX CAO area: 0170
12108 2014.06.30
2014.07.01
26 53 27 S07W25 0890 EKC EKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 1200

12109 2014.07.01
2014.07.02
22 52 23 S08W04 0710 DKC DKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0980

12110 2014.07.02
2014.07.03
4 3 1 S15W21 0010 BXO BXO  
S3609 2014.07.02   5 2 S14W41 0015   BXO  
12111 2014.07.03
2014.07.04
2 8 8 N07E09 0040 HSX CSO area: 0090

location: N06E11

12112 2014.07.04
2014.07.05
1     S16W85 0000 AXX       spotless

real location: S19W85

SWPC has moved AR 12112 to the location of AR 12103, see AR 12103 comment

S3614 2014.07.04       N06E21           plage
S3615 2014.07.05       S04W54           plage
S3617 2014.07.05       N03W52           plage
S3618 2014.07.05   4 2 N17E15 0030   BXO    
12113 2014.07.06 12 34 19 N10E48 0060 CSI DAC area: 0200

location: N09E50

12115 2014.07.06
2014.07.08
11 11 6 N08W38 0040 DAO DRO  
S3621 2014.07.06       S21W50         plage
S3622 2014.07.06   9 4 S22E06 0020   BXO  
S3623 2014.07.06       S18W00         plage
S3624 2014.07.06       N47W35           plage
S3625 2014.07.06       N06W54         plage
S3626 2014.07.06   1   S08W79 0003   AXX  
S3627 2014.07.06       N10W29           plage
12114 2014.07.07
2014.07.08
7 6 5 S19E62 0080 DAI DAO location: S20E67
S3629 2014.07.07       S07W40         plage
S3630 2014.07.08   4 3 S28E69 0015   CRO    
S3631 2014.07.08   2 1 S15E62 0006   BXO    
S3632 2014.07.08   1 1 S16E28 0003   AXX    
S3633 2014.07.08   1   N15E33 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 99 220 118  
Sunspot number: 209 400 278  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 154 281 179  (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): 125 140 153 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 81.8 (78.2 projected, +2.2) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.3 (cycle peak) (79.7 projected, +1.5) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 91.9 (80.5 projected, +0.8) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (79.7 projected, -0.8) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (77.1 projected, -2.6) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (74.5 projected, -2.6) 6.72
2014.07 185.0 (1)   51.1 (2A) / 198.1 (2B) / 99.7 (2C) (71.5 projected, -3.0) (4.5)

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 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.