Magnetic Cloud Polarity and Geomagnetic Activities over Three Solar Cycles

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) that show fluxrope magnetic structures are named magnetic clouds (MCs). Majority of the MCs exhibit bipolar signature in their north-south component (Bz) in IMF measurements. The Bz component of a bipolar cloud is either NS (north first then turning south as the MC traverses the spacecraft) or SN. Studies show that the occurrence of these two types of MCs has some solar cycle dependence. However it appears to be a complex relationship as the switch between the two types of MCs is not concurrent with either the solar polar reversal or the time of the sunspot minimum when the new cycle sunspots start to appear. In this paper, we use ACE solar wind and IMF observations to obtain the most updated MC signatures and their temporal variation. In combination with our previously published results, we analyze MC polarity variations over the three solar cycles of 21, 22 and 23. Interpretations in terms of their solar sources will be attempted. On the other hand, the geomagnetic activities over the same solar cycles will be studied using geomagnetic indices. The geoeffectiveness of the MC will be evaluated in the aid of Dst indices.