Solar Radiation Influence on Ground-Level Geomagnetic Perturbations

An empirical model has been developed for predicting ground-level geomagnetic perturbations. Measurements from over 112 magnetometers were used, along with simultaneous observations of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) from the ACE satellite. These data were from an eight-year period, from 1998 through 2005, covering both the rise and fall of the solar cycle. Variations in the solar radiation during this cycle are incorporated into the model, as determined by the F10.7 index of solar radio flux. Variations in ionospheric conductivity, under the influence of both season (dipole tilt angle) and solar radiation are implicitly included. Comparisons of model calculations with measurements at different locations show very good results. Maps of the magnetic perturbations for different conditions generally look as expected. Surprisingly, increasing the F10.7 index does not always increase the magnetic perturbations on the ground at all locations, as one might expect. The largest increases in the perturbations occur near the cusp when the IMF is Northward or has a strong Y component. However, in the nightside, as well as under the Region-2 currents, the ground-level perturbations are more likely to have a smaller magnitude with a higher F10.7 index.