[Ips-dsgr] IPS Daily Report - 13 March 08

rwc rwc at ips.gov.au
Fri Mar 14 10:38:50 EST 2008


SUBJ: IPS DAILY SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL REPORT
ISSUED AT 13/2330Z MARCH 2008 BY IPS RADIO AND SPACE SERVICES
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE
SUMMARY FOR 13 MARCH AND FORECAST FOR 14 MARCH - 16 MARCH
STATUS INDICATORS SOL:GREEN   MAG:GREEN     ION: GREEN
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1A. SOLAR SUMMARY
Activity 13 Mar:  Very low

Flares: none.

Observed 10.7 cm flux/Equivalent Sunspot Number for 13 Mar:  70/5


1B. SOLAR FORECAST
             14 Mar             15 Mar             16 Mar
Activity     Very low           Very low           Very low
Fadeouts     None expected      None expected      None expected
10.7cm/SSN    70/5               70/5               70/5
COMMENT: Solar activity was Very Low over the last 24 hours, 
and expected to continue at this level. There are no sunspots 
on the disc. Previous AR983 may return 14 Mar with normal rotation. 
Solar wind speeds (Vsw) remain elevated due to a high speed coronal 
hole wind stream but declined from ~640 to 580 km/sec at the 
ACE spacecraft. Vsw is still gusty but less than yesterday. The 
Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) rapid fluctuations are also 
declining. IMF Bz was predominantly southward 08-14UT but low 
strength so geomagnetic merging was probably weak. The coronal 
hole is turning south outside geoeffective solar latitudes as 
the Sun rotates. Hence solar wind speeds can be expected to decline 
for the next 1-2 days to normal. An IMF solar sector boundary 
crossing is predicted ~14UT on 14th March. 




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2A. MAGNETIC SUMMARY

Geomagnetic field for Australian Region 13 Mar: Quiet to Active 

Estimated Indices 13 Mar :  A   K           
   Australian Region      13   23344221
      Darwin               9   22234121
      Townsville          16   23345222
      Learmonth           17   22355221
      Camden              11   22244121
      Canberra            11   22244220
      Hobart              13   23244222
      Casey(Ant)          19   44444222
    
Observed Regional daily pc3 Indices 13 Mar : 
      Darwin               0   (Quiet)
      Townsville           0   (Quiet)
      Learmonth            0   (Quiet)
      Canberra            21   (Quiet to unsettled)
      Hobart              35   (Quiet to unsettled)
Pc3 pulsations are high frequency (10-45 second period) variations 
of the Earths magnetic field. Daily pc3-indices are the daily sum 
of 20 minute pc3-indices for that station and have been shown to be
well correlated with rejection of high resolution aeromagnetic
survey flight-line data. 

NOTE: Indices may have been generated from data obtained in 
cooperation with the following organisations: Geoscience Australia, 
University of Newcastle Space Physics Group, Australian Government 
Antarctic Division and Space Environment Research Center, Japan.


Estimated AFr/Ap Indices 13 Mar : A 
           Fredericksburg        10
           Planetary             15                         

Observed AFr/Ap Indices 12 Mar :  A   K
           Fredericksburg         9
           Planetary             14   2442 1142     


2B. MAGNETIC FORECAST 
Date      Ap    Conditions
14 Mar     6    Quiet 
15 Mar     4    Quiet 
16 Mar     5    Quiet 
COMMENT: 1. The geomagnetic field was Quiet to Unsettled at mid 
and equatorial latitudes as the solar wind speed from the recurrent 
coronal hole wind stream declined. An exception to this was 11-14UT 
when Active to Minor Storm levels were observed at low and mid 
latitudes and Major Storm at mid-high plasmapause (edge of inner 
magnetosphere) latitudes. This event coincided with magnetic 
disturbances in the inner magnetosphere (GOES spececraft at
geostationary altitude). There was no obvious precursor solar IMF disturbance 
observed at the ACE spacecraft. This is possibly the remnant 
of the geomagnetic disturbance earlier in the week resolving 
itself inside the inner magetosphere. 2. Polar latitudes varied 
from Quiet to Minor Storm levels, responding to the IMF fluctuations 
and extended weak southward period (see solar). Polar latitudes 
did not appear to respond to the 11-14UT Active-Storm event seen 
at lower latitudes. 3. The general trend in the next two days 
should be for declining activity as enhanced solar wind speeds 
abate, with possible further lo-mid latitude post-coronal hole 
Active periods as described above. An IMF solar sector boundary 
crossing is predicted ~14UT on 14th March and may cause mild 
geomagnetic disturbance. 

-----------------------------------------------------------
3A. GLOBAL HF PROPAGATION SUMMARY
	            Latitude Band
Date        Low            Middle         High 
13 Mar      Normal-fair    Normal         Poor-normal    
PCA Event : No event.

3B. GLOBAL HF PROPAGATION FORECAST
	            Latitude Band
Date        Low            Middle         High 
14 Mar      Normal-fair    Normal         Fair-normal   
15 Mar      Normal         Normal         Fair-normal   
16 Mar      Normal         Normal         Fair-normal   

-----------------------------------------------------------
4A. AUSTRALIAN REGION IONOSPHERIC SUMMARY


Date   T index
13 Mar    -9

Observed Australian Regional MUFs
   Equatorial PNG/Niue Region:
      Near predicted monthly values during local day,
      Depressed by 15% during local night.
   Northern Australian Region:
      Near predicted monthly values.
   Southern Australian and New Zealand Region:
      Near predicted monthly values during local day,
      Depressed by 15% during local night.
   Antarctic Region (Casey/Scott Base/Davis/Mawson):
      Near predicted monthly values over the UT day.

Predicted Monthly T index for March:   6

4B. AUSTRALIAN REGION IONOSPHERIC FORECAST
Date   T index  MUFs
14 Mar     0    0 to 5% below predicted monthly values 
15 Mar     5    near predicted monthly values 
16 Mar     5    near predicted monthly values 
COMMENT: 1. MUFs were on average only just below monthly averages 
as geomagnetic activity directly from the coronal hole high-speed 
solar-wind stream was weak. However the moderate nightime MUF 
depressions at equatorial and near-equatorial latitudes may have 
been the response to an inner magnetosphere disturbance (see 
geomagnetic section). Equatorial latitudes may continue to have 
moderate enhancements and depressions as the post-coronal-hole 
effects resolve themselves. Ionospheric resilience appears greater 
than the last equinox. Expect mid-latitudes returning to mostly 
normal HF conditions over the next day or two. 2. Extensive spread-F 
and sporadic E (Es) were observed. (Niue: dusk to night Es; Vanimo: 
pre-dawn Es; Brisbane: Es night and pre-dawn; Learmonth: spread-F 
midnight-dawn; Camden: weak Es during the day; Hobart: night 
spread-F; Christchurch: night spread-F and pre-dawn Es) 3. Polar 
ionosphere continues moderately disturbed as usual with high 
spread-F occurrence due to extended southward IMF Bz and also 
enhanced Bz fluctuations. 
-----------------------------------------------------------
5. SPACE ENVIRONMENT SUMMARY

GOES satellite data for 12 Mar
       Daily Proton Fluence >1 MeV:   5.1E+06
       Daily Proton Fluence >10 MeV:  1.7E+04
       Daily Electron Fluence >2 MeV: 4.10E+08   (moderate fluence)   
Electron Fluence Daily Deep Dielectric Discharge Probability:21%
Fluence (flux accumulation over 24hrs)/ cm2-ster-day.
       X-ray background: A1.0

ACE Satellite Solar Wind Day Averaged Data for 12 Mar
Speed: 656 km/sec  Density:    1.8 p/cc  Temp:   193000 K  Bz:   1 nT

(Courtesy Space Environment Center, Boulder USA)
ACE data can be incorrect during strong proton events.
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