Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on February 17, 2014 at 05:55 UTC.

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

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated February 1, 2014]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to minor storm on February 16. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 314 and 466 km/s under the influence of CME effects.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 153.9 (increasing 16.5 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 149.3. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 18 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 17.6). Three hour interval K indices: 53223333 (planetary), 53223432 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B6 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time) spots were observed in 11 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 252) and 8 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 157) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 11973 [N09W80] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 11974 [S11W73] was quiet and stable. SWPC is counting AR S3098 and this group as one.
Region 11976 [S15W29] was quiet and stable.
Region 11977 [S10W03] decayed in the trailing spot section, otherwise there were only minor changes.
C5+ flare: impulsive M1.1 at 09:26 UTC.
Region 11980 [S13W19] decayed slowly and quietly
.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3098 [S11W63] decayed further and lost the magnetic delta structure. The region produced a few low level C flares. An M class flare is still possible.
S3127 [S21E26] gained a leading penumbra spot.
S3128 [S16E55] was quiet and stable.
New region S3129 [S13E68] rotated into view with penumbra spots.
New region S3130 [S11E81] rotated into view with a few spots.
New region S3131 [S06E74] rotated into view a penumbra spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

February 14-16: 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

An extension (CH603) of a northern hemisphere coronal hole may have been marginally in a geoeffective position on February 14. In that case a weak disturbance could reach Earth on February 17 or 18. A trans equatorial coronal hole (CH604) could rotate into an Earth facing position on February 20-21.

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 fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on February 17-18 and quiet on February 19.

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
11973 2014.02.04
2014.02.05
2 1 1 N06W87 0010 AXX AXX

location: N09W80

11974 2014.02.04
2014.02.05
47 2 1 S12W66 0760 FKC HSX location: S11W73

area: 0090

S3098 2014.02.06   47 27 S11W63 0880   EKC beta-gamma

SWPC has this as part of AR 11974

11976 2014.02.07
2014.02.08
6 21 7 S15W29 0230 CSO CHO area: 0430
11980 2014.02.09
2014.02.14
2 10 5 S14W20 0090 HAX CAO

area: 0060

11977 2014.02.10 30 49 33 S10W02 0320 EKC DAC beta-gamma

area: 0330

S3112 2014.02.11       S32W17           plage
S3120 2014.02.12       S25W56           plage
S3124 2014.02.14       S23E52           plage
S3126 2014.02.14       S25E12           plage
S3127 2014.02.15   4 1 S21E26 0009   BXO  
S3128 2014.02.15   1   S16E55 0002   AXX  
S3129 2014.02.16   3   S13E68 0005   AXX    
S3130 2014.02.16   3 2 S11E81 0030   CRO    
S3131 2014.02.16   1   S06E74 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 87 142 77  
Sunspot number: 137 252 157  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 117 180 115  (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): 82 88 86 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 solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2011.11 153.5   96.7 (cycle peak) 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2012.02 106.5   32.9 66.9 (+1.4) 8.81
2012.11 121.3 118.3 61.8 59.7 (+1.1) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 105.0 40.8 59.6 (-0.1) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 123.1 62.9 58.7 (-0.9) 4.69
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 projected, +3.5) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 103.7 36.9 (73.0 projected, +4.0) 5.23
2013.10  132.1 131.2 85.6 (74.0 projected, +1.0) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 145.1 77.6 (72.9 projected, -1.1) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 (71.8 projected, -1.1) 4.68
2014.01 157.4
(cycle peak)
152.4 82.0 (71.0 projected, -0.8) 5.44
2014.02 174.3 (1)   100.4 (2A) / 175.6 (2B) / 109.2 (2C) (71.2 projected, +0.2) (7.7)

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 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.