What is DST value?

What is DST value?

Dst is a measure of the decrease in the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field near the magnetic equator due to increases in the magnetospheric ring current (see the FAQ below). Values less than −50 nanotesla (nT) indicate high geomagnetic activity.

How is DST measured?

The Disturbance Storm Time (Dst) index is a measure of geomagnetic activity used to assess the severity of geomagnetic storms. It is expressed in nanoTeslas and is based on the average value of the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field measured at four near-equatorial geomagnetic observatories.

Why Dst index is negative?

The ring current around Earth produces a magnetic field that is directly opposite Earth’s magnetic field, i.e. if the difference between solar electrons and protons gets higher, then Earth’s magnetic field becomes weaker. A negative Dst value means that Earth’s magnetic field is weakened.

What is DST geomagnetic storm?

Definition. A geomagnetic storm is defined by changes in the Dst (disturbance – storm time) index. The Dst index estimates the globally averaged change of the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field at the magnetic equator based on measurements from a few magnetometer stations.

What is AP index?

A space weather related index that denotes a formally determined value from the daily, mean 3-hourly equivalent amplitude of magnetic activity from a planetary network of 11 Northern and 2 Southern Hemisphere magnetic observatories.

What is SYM H?

Purpose. To describe the geomagnetic disturbances at mid-latitudes in terms of longitudinally asymmetric (ASY) and symmetric (SYM) disturbances for both H and D components respectively parallel and perpendicular to the dipole axis. SYM-H is essentially the same as the Dst index with a different time resolution.

Is the Dst index sufficient to define all geospace storms?

The Dst index alone is not an appropriate indicator for identifying all geospace storms, for the comparison of the evolution during different storms, for performing superposed epoch analysis, or for determining the onset and end of a storm.

What does Kp index stand for?

The Kp-Index – derived from the German “Planetarishe Kennziffer meaning “Planetary Index” – is a measure of geomagnetic activity in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Does geomagnetic storm affect humans?

The Earth’s magnetic field does not directly affect human health. Humans evolved to live on this planet. High altitude pilots and astronauts can experience higher levels of radiation during magnetic storms, but the hazard is due to the radiation, not the magnetic field itself.

What is KP and AP?

Geomagnetic Kp/Ap Indices (Kp/Ap Data) This data is derived (along with Cp) from observatory K readings from a global network of observatories, and provides an indicator of global geomagnetic disturbance. The poorest quality of data is the early hand-calculated values from 1932 through 1936.

What does Kp-index stand for?

What is SYMH index?

SYM-H is one of the important indices for space weather. It indicates the intensity of magnetic storm, similarly to Dst index but with much higher time-resolution.

Is higher Kp better for Northern Lights?

If the Kp is 5 or greater, the better your chances of seeing an aurora. You can check out the SWPC Estimated Planetary Kp graph to see what has been happening during the past few days. The red bars indicate a Kp higher than 4, which makes your odds of seeing an aurora greater.

What is meant by K-index?

The K-index quantifies disturbances in the horizontal component of earth’s magnetic field with an integer in the range 0-9 with 1 being calm and 5 or more indicating a geomagnetic storm. It is derived from the maximum fluctuations of horizontal components observed on a magnetometer during a three-hour interval.

What is a good KP for Northern Lights?