Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 13, 2014 at 04:10 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update June 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update June 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 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 June 12. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 447 and 568 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 174.5 (increasing 35.8 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 140.3. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 3 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.9). Three hour interval K indices: 11100011 (planetary), 12112211 (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 14 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 347) and 14 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 253) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12079 [N12W81] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12080 [S10W64] developed gaining area. The region has polarity intermixing and could produce another minor M class flare.
Region 12082 [N15W55] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12085 [S19W60] has a weak magnetic delta structure centrally and could produce a major flare.
Region 12087 [S17E44] developed as new negative polarity flux emerged centrally and a new magnetic delta structure formed. Major flares are possible.
Region 12088 [S09W45] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 12089 [N18E03] gained spots and area. Further minor M class flaring is possible as the central magnetic delta structure has become stronger.
Region 12090 [N25E56] was quiet and stable.
New region 12091 [S08W02] emerged on June 11 and was numbered the next day by SWPC as it decayed.
New region 12092 [S19E60] rotated into view on June 11 with SWPC numbering the region the next day.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3515 [S13W24] was quiet and stable.
S3522 [S21W13] reemerged with penumbra spots.
S3533 [N18W80] was quiet and stable.
New region S3535 [N01W18] emerged with a few spots to the south of spotless AR 12086.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Time (UTC) Location AR
C3.6 00:42 S18W44 12085
C4.4 01:28 S17E60 12087
M2.0 04:21 S16E55 12087
C4.5 05:07 S21E58 12087
C3.7 06:43   12087
M1.8/1B 09:37 S25W53 12085
M2.7/1F 10:21 S20E52 12087
C3.8 13:20 S16W58 12080
C7.8/1N 16:03 S20W51 12085
C3.5 16:25 S19W52 12085
C6.1 17:35 S24W57 12085
M1.3 18:13 S19E48 12087
M1.1 20:03 N17E05 12089
M3.1/1F (LDE) 22:16 S20W55 12085

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 12: At least a partial halo CME was observed after the M3 LDE in AR 12085 late in the day.
June 11
: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
June 10: An asymmetric full halo CME was observed after the X flares in AR 12087. The CME could reach Earth on June 13.

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

No obvious coronal hole are currently in or near Earth facing positions.

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 to unsettled on June 13-15 with a chance of active intervals on June 13-14 if the June 10 CME reaches Earth.

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
12079 2014.05.31
2014.06.01
4 3 2 N13W83 0080 DSO CSO area: 0160
12081 2014.06.01
2014.06.04
      N05W86           location: N04W59
12080 2014.06.02
2014.06.03
14 28 15 S11W64 0320 DKI DKC beta-gamma

area: 0630

12082 2014.06.04
2014.06.05
12 20 10 N15W54 0200 DAI DAO area: 0250
S3505 2014.06.05       S15W45           plage
12085 2014.06.05
2014.06.06
23 38 20 S20W58 0490 EKC EKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0680

12088 2014.06.06
2014.06.11
5 16 9 S11W46 0040 CAO DAO area: 0080

location: S09W45

12089 2014.06.07
2014.06.11
9 27 15 N18E03 0050 DAI DAC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0110

S3515 2014.06.07   3 2 S13W24 0007   AXX  
S3516 2014.06.07       N22W02           plage
12086 2014.06.08       N03W24           plage
S3522 2014.06.08   4 2 S21W13     AXX    
12087 2014.06.09
2014.06.10
14 27 16 S18E43 0200 DAC DAC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0390

S3524 2014.06.09       S16E03           plage
S3525 2014.06.09       N07W47           plage
12090 2014.06.10
2014.06.11
2 5 2 N24E56 0120 DSO ESO area: 0200
S3528 2014.06.10       N24W58           plage
12091 2014.06.11
2014.06.12
5 13 5 S09W04 0060   DRI location: S08W02
12092 2014.06.11
2014.06.12
8 18 11 S19E59 0050 CSO BXI  
S3531 2014.06.11       S22E47          
S3532 2014.06.11       S22E19         plage
S3533 2014.06.11   2 1 N18W80 0015   HRX  
S3535 2014.06.12   3 3 N01W18 0010   BXO    
Total spot count: 96 207 113  
Sunspot number: 196 347 253  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 156 263 169  (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): 117 121 139 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 (75.8 projected, +0.4) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 82.0 (76.4 projected, +0.6) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.8 (cycle peak) (76.2 projected, -0.2) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 92.2 (76.6 projected, +0.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (75.8 projected, -0.8) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (73.2 projected, -2.6) 5.75
2014.06 135.0 (1)    48.7 (2A) / 121.8 (2B) / 86.7 (2C) (70.5 projected, -2.7) (8.0)

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.