Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 15, 2014 at 05:40 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 quiet on June 14. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 352 and 452 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 143.5 (increasing 16.0 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 140.7. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.5). Three hour interval K indices: 22211121 (planetary), 23322322 (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 9 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 171) and 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 113) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12082 [N14W82] rotated quietly to the northwest limb.
Region 12085 [S19W85] decayed slowly, however, there is a chance of a major flare while the region is at the southwest limb and just behind the limb.
Region 12087 [S18E18] decayed quickly losing all negative polarity umbrae.
Region 12088 [S10W75] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12089 [N18W25] developed as new flux emerged. C and minor M class flares are possible.
Region 12090 [N25E29] was quiet and stable.
Region 12091 [S11W30] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12092 [S20E32] was quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3532 [S29E00] was quiet and stable.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Time (UTC) Location AR
C2.4 03:48 S20W70 12085
C3.6 (LDE) 09:46 S17E30 12087
C3.3 17:47   12089
M1.4 19:29 SE limb  
C2.1 23:10   12080

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 13-14
: 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

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 mostly quiet on June 15-17 with a chance of unsettled and active intervals on June 15-16 if the June 13 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
12080 2014.06.02
2014.06.03
8     S11W91 0350 DKI    

rotated out of view

12082 2014.06.04
2014.06.05
2 3 2 N15W80 0140 CAO DAO area: 0250
12085 2014.06.05
2014.06.06
13 2 1 S19W84 0200 EAI CAO  
12088 2014.06.06
2014.06.11
1 1   S09W74 0020 HRX AXX area: 0010
12089 2014.06.07
2014.06.11
10 30 19 N18W25 0100 DAI DAC

 

S3515 2014.06.07       S13W50           plage
S3516 2014.06.07       N22W28           plage
12086 2014.06.08       N01W47            
S3522 2014.06.08       S20W39         plage
12087 2014.06.09
2014.06.10
24 16 10 S18E16 0180 DAI CSO  
S3524 2014.06.09       S16W23           plage
12090 2014.06.10
2014.06.11
3 7 4 N24E30 0120 CSO ESO area: 0200
12091 2014.06.11
2014.06.12
2 4   S08W29 0000 AXX AXX  
12092 2014.06.11
2014.06.12
6 15 6 S19E33 0010 BXO CRI area: 0030
S3531 2014.06.11       S22E23           plage
S3532 2014.06.11   3 1 S29E00 0007   AXX  
S3535 2014.06.12       N01W44           plage
S3536 2014.06.13       N18W24         plage
S3537 2014.06.13       S19W12         plage
Total spot count: 69 81 43  
Sunspot number: 159 171 113  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 107 109 71  (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): 95 60 62 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
2014.06 136.9 (1)   63.2 (2A) / 135.4 (2B) / 84.2 (2C) (70.5 projected, -2.7) (7.6)

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.