Spatial-temporal dynamics of auroras during the magnetic storm main phase

The structure and dynamics of auroras in the midnight sector during substorms, which develop during the magnetic storm main phase as compared to the characteristics of a typical auroral substorm, have been studied using the ground-based and satellite observations. It has been found out that a difference from the classical substorm is observed in auroras during the magnetic storm main phase. At the beginning of the storm main phase, the series of pseudobreakups with the most pronounced jump-like motion toward the equator shifts to lower latitudes. The substorm expansion phase can be observed not only as arc jumps to higher latitudes but also as an explosive expansion of a bright diffuse luminosity in all directions. During the magnetic storm main phase, auroras are mainly characterized by the presence of stable extensive rayed structures and by the simultaneous existence of different auroral forms, typical of different substorm phases, in the TV camera field of view.     

Variations in the ULF index of geomagnetic pulsations during strong magnetic storms

The level of wave geomagnetic activity in the morning, afternoon, and nighttime sectors during strong magnetic storms with Dst varying from ?100 to ?150 nT has been statistically studied based on a new ULF wave index. It has been found out that the intensity of geomagnetic pulsations at frequencies of 2–7 mHz during the magnetic storm initial phase is maximal in the morning and nighttime sectors at polar and auroral latitudes, respectively. During the magnetic storm main phase, wave activity is maximal in the morning sector of the auroral zone, and the pulsation intensity in the nighttime sector is twice as low as in the morning sector. It has been indicated that geomagnetic pulsations excited after substorms mainly contribute to a morning wave disturbance during the magnetic storm main phase. During the storm recovery phase, wave activity develops in the morning and nighttime sectors of the auroral zone; in this case nighttime activity is also observed in the subauroral zone.     

塔里木盆地南缘8.5 ka以来的黄土岩石磁学特征及其磁化率变化机制

黄土岩石磁学参数是古气候研究中的重要指标,其中磁化率应用最为广泛,并在黄土高原地区取得重大进展,其受控于成壤作用的变化机制也被普遍接受.然而在黄土高原外缘的新疆地区,磁化率的变化机制仍不明确,导致磁化率的古气候意义在该区存在较大争议.本文选取塔里木盆地南缘具有精确年代控制的典型黄土剖面（羊场剖面）开展岩石磁学和高分辨率磁化率研究,利用交叉小波分析方法并结合剖面粒度、矿物及元素特征对该地区磁化率变化机制进行初步探讨.结果显示,羊场剖面的岩石磁学性质主要由粗颗粒软磁性矿物所控制,同时也表现出一定的顺磁性特征.根据载磁矿物和磁化率变化特征可将剖面进一步划分为两个阶段：阶段Ⅰ（8.5~2.5 ka）,载磁矿物以亚铁磁性的磁铁矿为主,磁化率值整体较高;阶段Ⅱ（2.5~0.2 ka）,亚铁磁性矿物依然占据主导地位,但硬磁性矿物和以黄铁矿为代表的顺磁性矿物相对增多,磁化率值显著降低.相关性研究和交叉小波分析表明：阶段Ⅰ磁化率与粗颗粒组分的变化具有一致性,符合"风速论"模式;阶段Ⅱ磁化率不仅与粗颗粒组分具有明显的正相关关系,而且与指示成壤作用强度的频率磁化率百分含量呈现出显著的负相关关系,暗示了阶段Ⅱ的磁化率变化可能受到"风速论"和"还原性成壤"模式的共同影响.本文拓宽了对新疆地区黄土岩石磁学特征及其磁化率变化机制的深入理解,也为利用磁化率恢复新疆及中亚地区全新世以来的古气候变化历史提供了新的线索.     

金属套管对多分量电磁感应测井信号的影响

研究金属套管对低频电磁场各分量透射信号和反射信号的影响规律对采用过套管电磁感应测井技术监测生产过程中的流体移动具有重要价值.采用柱状成层各向异性介质中的并矢Green函数模拟当发射源在套管内、接收器分别在套管内和套管外时多分量电磁感应的响应,并系统分析了金属套管对透射磁场和反射磁场各主分量的影响规律.计算结果表明,无论是透射场还是反射场,由于所采用的频率较低,金属套管对每个分量信号的影响可以与地层对该分量信号的影响分开.在低频段,磁性金属套管对磁场各分量仍存在稳定的反射,但不同分量被反射的程度不同,受套管磁屏蔽作用大的分量(如ρρ分量)被反射的程度高于受套管磁屏蔽作用小的分量(如zz分量).随着频率的升高,反射磁场的强度逐渐增大并最终达到饱和,信号被全反射.磁性金属套管的存在导致透射磁场各分量出现不同程度的幅度衰减和相位延迟,受套管磁屏蔽作用大的分量的幅度衰减程度大.在固定套管参数和频率的情况下,磁性套管对透射磁场不同分量的影响程度虽然不同但是恒定,其所导致的各分量的幅度衰减和相位延迟与线圈系位置和地层电参数无关.在低频段,套管外透射场的各分量处于准静态,其幅度和相位均不随频率而改变,受套管磁屏蔽作用大的分量的幅度随套管磁导率和厚度的不同而存在明显变化.当频率超过某一临界值后,套管的影响逐渐从以静态屏蔽为主转到以趋肤效应为主,导致透射场幅度的衰减和相位的延迟,套管的厚度越大、套管的电导率和相对磁导率值越大,所对应的频率临界值越小.     

不同地磁扰动事件期间全球电离层的扰动形态分析

利用全球电离层台站提供的观测数据，分析 了5次不 同类型磁暴事件期间全球电离层F2层f0F2和hmF2的扰动变化. 主要结果 表明：对于延迟型主相磁暴S（C）和S（E），中高纬电离层首先会出现明显的正相扰动，随 后是明显延迟的负相扰动，负相扰动覆盖范围广，甚至扩展到低纬区, 且持续时间很长, 恢 复及其缓慢，其中S（C）型的扰动更为明显; 对于非延迟型主相磁暴S（A）、S（B）和 S（D ），高纬电离层正相扰动持续时间较短甚至不出现，中高纬电离层负相扰动的出现、发展和 恢复也相对较快; 磁暴主相强度的大小会对电离层负相扰动的强度、发展和持续时间产生一 定的影响; 高纬电离层扰动在非延迟型主相磁暴恢复相期间会出现明显的地方时效应，地方 时效应随纬度的降低而增强，并且会明显影响到中低纬电离层的扰动；电离层扰动从高纬到 低纬的变化趋势为：f0F2的扰动由负相向正相转化，hmF2的增加由全天出现趋向于只存在于夜间，反映了不同扰动物理机制的作用.     

The effects of wildfires on the magnetic properties of soils in the Everglades

We present results of a rock‐magnetic study of soils that were affected by wildfires that burned portions of the Everglades in the Spring of 2008. Soils at sites that were extensively burned exhibit a pronounced surface magnetic enhancement effect with magnetizations of surface samples up to 16 times greater than that observed at depth (>7 cm) at these sites. The increase in magnetization results from an increased abundance of a low‐coercivity phase (maghemite) that occurs at the expense of the abundance of a high‐coercivity phase (goethite). These results indicate that fire‐induced heating caused goethite in the surface soils to convert into a more magnetic, low‐coercivity phase, such as maghemite. Goethite is an excellent adsorber of phosphorus, and therefore we hypothesize that the destruction of goethite as a result of burning may have important implications for phosphorus cycling in the Everglades ecosystem. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations in the critical frequency of the ionospheric F-region during magnetic storms in 2008–2012 at auroral latitudes

Fifty-one magnetic storms occurred during the last solar half-cycle of transition from the epoch minimum to the epoch maximum are considered. Ionospheric (foF2) and magnetic (X component) data from Sodankyla observatory, Finland, were used for the analysis, as well as values of the ΣKp indices of magnetic activity. The dependence of variations in the critical frequency foF2 was studied before, during, and after each storm. It has been revealed that a major effect (ME) takes place for all of the storms analyzed. It consists in the following: the first maximum in foF2 values occurs several days before the onset of the active phase of a storm, then foF2 attains its minimum during the active phase, and the second maximum occurred after the active phase. Five principals, the most frequent types of variation in foF2 during a storm, have been revealed. However, special cases (30%) in which an ME exists but shifts rightward several days along the time axis are observable. Ionospheric “memory” (inertia) from 8–9 h to 2 days has been revealed. It has been ascertained that the occurrence of the first ME maximum can be considered a magnetic storm precursor. Such a precursor potentially can be used for forecasting the beginning of magnetic storm development, which is important for space weather problems.     

Solar-terrestrial storms of October 2003. 2. Five-phase dynamics of the substorm of October 28–30

The assumption that a solar-heliospheric storm has five phases is formulated based on the storm that occurred in October 2003. The first phase: slow (between solar rotations) convergent motions of photospheric sources of large-scale open solar fields (LOFs) with generation of active regions (ARs) between these fields. The second phase: magnetic energy pumping with adjustment of zero lines of the photospheric magnetic field in AR to the configuration of the LOF sector (subsector) boundaries. The third phase: AR destabilization with ordering of the complex of sporadic phenomena near ARs parallel to the zero line and fragments of the nearest LOF boundary. The fourth phase: propagation of disturbances in the near-Sun space with ordering relative to the LOF boundaries. The fifth phase: propagation of a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the inner heliosphere in the case when the axial axis of a magnetic cloud in CME is parallel to the LOF boundary and to the zero line in AR. Original results of LOF modeling and a number of substantial results of the known advanced studies of individual aspects of this storm are used to justify this dynamics as applied to the storm of October 28–30. Specific contents and features of each storm phases are presented. The specific feature of the first phase, responsible for the storm space-time scales and intensity, consisted in the displacement of the entire LOF negative magnetic flux (～5 × 10²² μs) from the north pole to the south with flowing around a midlatitude obstacle and with zonal convergent motions of LOF. The assumption of the AR configuration adjustment (the second phase) and ordering of disturbances (the third–five phases) during this storm near the subsector boundary between LOFs of identical polarity has been confirmed. It is noted that the pulse phase of the AR 0486 flare, coronal waves, and dimmings along the subsector boundary and the southwestern LOF “dam” joining ARs 0486 and 0484 (superposition of the third and fourth phases) originated almost simultaneously. The two-component disturbance structure is confirmed: halo-type CME with the axis along the LOF subsector boundary and a bright local ejection of magnetic plasma from the region above the southwestern LOF dam.     

Alteration induced changes of magnetic fabric as exemplified by dykes of the Koolau volcanic range

We studied 93 samples from 8 basaltic dykes of the Koolau volcanic range on the island of Oahu,Hawaii,USA,to determine the influence of hydrothermal alteration on the magnetic fabric as determined by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements. Rock magnetic as well as microscopic investigations show that only ≈25% of the samples have retained their original magnetomineralogical composition of unaltered Ti-poor titanomagnetite. The remaining samples have undergone hydrothermal alteration which transformed the primary magnetic phase into a granular intergrowth of titanomagnetite, titanomaghemite and hematite. In both sample groups,this magnetic phase occurs in coarse (tens of microns),irregularly shaped particles as well as interstitial clusters of smaller (< 5 μm) grains. Our investigations show that hydrothermal alteration does change the bulk susceptibility and the degree of anisotropy but not the directions of principal axes of the AMS ellipsoid which are predominantly corresponding to normal magnetic fabric. The stability of AMS directions, regardless of the degree of alteration, points towards the model of distribution anisotropy as the controlling factor for the observed magnetic fabric.     

Ring current and auroral electrojets in connection with interplanetary medium parameters during magnetic storm

The relationship between the auroral electrojet indices (AE) and the ring current magnetic field (DR) was investigated by observations obtained during the magnetic storm on 1–3 April 1973. During the storm main phase the DR development is accompanied by a shift of the auroral electrojets toward the equator. As a result, the standard AE indices calculated on the basis of data from auroral observatories was substantially lower than the real values (AE’). To determine AE’ during the course of a storm main phase data from subauroral magnetic observatories should be used. It is shown that the intensity of the indices (AE’) which take into account the shift of the electrojets is increased substantially relative to the standard indices during the storm main phase. AE’ values are closely correlated with geoeffective solar wind parameters. A high correlation was obtained between AE’ and the energy flux into the ring current during the storm main phase. Analysis of magnetic field variations during intervals with intense southward IMF components demonstrates a decrease of the saturation effect of auroral electrojet currents if subauroral stations magnetic field variations are taken into account. This applies both to case studies and statistical data. The dynamics of the electrojets in connection with the development of the ring current and of magnetospheric substorms can be described by the presence (absence) of saturation for minimum (maximum) AE index values during a 1-h interval. The ring current magnetic field asymmetry (ASY) was calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum field values along a parallel of latitude at low latitudes. The ASY value is closely correlated with geoeffective solar wind parameters and simultaneously is a more sensitive indicator of IMF B_z variations than the symmetric ring current. ASY increases (decreases) faster during the main phase (the recovery phase) than DR. The magnetic field decay at low latitudes in the recovery phase occurs faster in the afternoon sector than at dusk.     

2005年8月24日磁暴主相期间亚暴过程的多卫星联合观测分析

本文根据OMNI、TC-2卫星、LANL系列卫星、Cluster星簇卫星(C1-C4)以及加拿大的8个中高纬地磁台站的观测数据,研究了2005年8月24日强磁暴(SYM-H_min~ -179 nT)主相期间的强亚暴(AL_min~ -4046 nT)事件特征.该强磁暴在大振幅(IMF B_{z min}~ -55.57 nT)、短持续时间(~90 min)的行星际磁场条件下产生,有明显的磁暴急始(SSC),强度较大且持续时间较短.发生在磁暴主相期间的亚暴发展的主要特征如下:亚暴增长相期间,C1-C4卫星先后穿越中心等离子体片;亚暴膨胀相触发后,在近地磁尾(X~-6R_E)可观测到磁场偶极化现象;等离子体无色散注入区在亚暴onset开始后迅速沿经向扩展,但被限制在有限的经度范围;磁纬60°附近,Pi2地磁脉动振幅超过了100 nT.膨胀相开始后,在中、高磁纬地磁台站可观测到负湾扰,近地磁尾可观测到Pi2空间脉动,中磁尾区域可观测到尾向流、磁重联以及O⁺/H⁺数密度比值在亚暴onset之后增大等现象.分析表明该强磁暴主相期间的强亚暴现象发生时序是自内向外:X~-6R_E处TC-2观测到磁场偶极化(~09:42:30 UT),同步轨道卫星LANL1994-084观测到等离子体无色散注入(~09:44:30 UT),X~-17.8R_E处C1观测到磁场重联(~09:45:30 UT),由此推断该亚暴事件很可能是近地磁尾不稳定性触发产生,其发生区域距离地球很近.     

Solar magnetic cycle: Peculiarities of the photospheric field distribution

Synoptic maps for 1976–2003 obtained at the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory are used to analyze the longitudinal distribution of the solar photospheric magnetic field. The superposition of synoptic maps gives different pictures for the rise-maximum phase and the decline-minimum phase. Two characteristic periods correspond to different situations in the 22-year solar magnetic cycle in the course of which both the global magnetic field and the magnetic field of the leading sunspot in a group change their sign.     

不同类型磁暴和中低纬电离层暴的关系

分析了快速强主相和延迟弱主相磁暴期间中低纬电离层大尺度扰动形态．结果表明，对于这两种不同类型的磁暴，电离层负相扰动区的影响范围和形态也有差异．强主相磁暴情况下的负相区渗透到较低纬度，影响范围大；而弱主相施暴，负相限于纬度较高地区，影响范围较小．负相的开始和结束时间与磁暴主相延迟时间有着很好的对应．对于主相快速发展的磁暴，负相扰动的出现较快．而当磁暴主相长时间延迟时，电离层中也相应地出现负相长时间延迟．结果反映了按Ｋｐ指数对磁暴类型的分类对中低纬电离层暴的扰动形态分析也有着重要意义．     

SOME REMARKS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE MAGNETOTELLURIC PHASE*

The magnetotelluric phase in the medium of incidence over a good conductor varies from its value at the conductor surface, usually close to 45°, to the characteristic standing-wave phaseshift of 90° over a distance of a few conductor skin-depths, much shorter than the vacuum wavelength at the frequencies considered. Over the top of a graben or at the surface of a two-layer structure the basement can be looked upon as the matrix. If the graben or the overburden is a better conductor it will carry an extra current density in phase with the electric field, thus giving rise to an additional magnetic field also in phase with the electric field. This drives the argument of the surface impedance toward smaller values. For a more resistive graben or overburden the current is depressed, corresponding to a reduction of the surface magnetic field by an amount in phase with the electric field. This effect drives the phase of the impedance to values above the characteristic 45° of a uniform conductor.     

Estimation of storm-time level of day-side wave geomagnetic activity using a new <Emphasis Type="Italic">ULF</Emphasis> index

The level of wave geomagnetic activity in the morning and daytime sectors of auroral latitudes during strong magnetic storms with Dst _min varying from ?100 to ?150 nT in 1995–2002 have been studied using a new ULF index of wave activity proposed in [Kozyreva et al., 2007]. It has been detected that daytime Pc5 pulsations (2–6 mHz) are most intense during the main phase of a magnetic storm rather than during the recovery phase as was considered previously. It has been indicated that morning geomagnetic pulsations during the substorm recovery phase mainly contribute to daytime wave activity. The appearance of individual intervals with the southward IMF B _z component during the magnetic storm recovery phase results in increases in the ULF index values.     

Interpretation of VLF Resistivity Data for Ground Water Contamination Surveys

Very low frequency (VLF) military communications systems provide a primary field that can be used for shallow geophysical surveys to locate ground water contamination and vertical geologic contacts. Useful properties that can be easily obtained from the interaction of the earth and the primary field are the magnitude of the vertical secondary magnetic field, the surface impedence, and the phase angle between the electrical and magnetic horizontal components. The variations in the secondary magnetic field can be related to vertical geologic contacts, such as the edges of landfill trenches. The surface impedence yields an apparent terrain conductivity, which can be used to locate low-resistivity anomalies often associated with contaminated ground water. The phase angle gives information on vertical variations in resistivity, phase angles less than 45° indicating increasing resistivity with depth. The depth of penetration of the VLF field is about one skin depth. For a frequency of 20 kHz, the skin depth in meters is approximately equal to 3.67 where p is terrain resistivity in ohmmeters.     

Electric and magnetic components of ballooning perturbations in the magnetotail plasma sheet before breakup

Using data from THEMIS spacecraft we investigated transverse to the magnetic field mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic components of ballooning type perturbations with periods 60–240 s, which are observed in the magnetospheric plasma sheet during the period preceding substorm onset. With applying Hilbert transform, we analyzed the phase relations between them. It is shown that the perturbations are dominated by radial electric and azimuthal magnetic (that is, toroidal) components which are usually in phase or out-of-phase. Along with them, approximately 2.5 times less intense azimuthal electric and radial magnetic components are present, which are more often phase-shifted by π/2. It is concluded that the observed perturbations are not a simple consequence of the development of plasma sheet ballooning instability, leading to the growth of strongly elongated along the magnetotail ballooning structures. It is pointed out that this conclusion is confirmed by simultaneous ground-based observations of magnetically conjugate auroral structures.     

Two-dimensional electric field measurements in the ionospheric footprint of a flux transfer event

Line-of-sight Doppler velocities from the SuperDARN CUTLASS HF radar pair have been combined to produce the first two-dimensional vector measurements of the convection pattern throughout the ionospheric footprint of a flux transfer event (a pulsed ionospheric flow, or PIF). Very stable and moderate interplanetary magnetic field conditions, along with a preceding prolonged period of northward interplanetary magnetic field, allow a detailed study of the spatial and the temporal evolution of the ionospheric response to magnetic reconnection. The flux tube footprint is tracked for half an hour across six hours of local time in the auroral zone, from magnetic local noon to dusk. The motion of the footprint of the newly reconnected flux tube is compared with the ionospheric convection velocity. Two primary intervals in the PIFs evolution have been determined. For the first half of its lifetime in the radar field of view the phase speed of the PIF is highly variable and the mean speed is nearly twice the ionospheric convection speed. For the final half of its lifetime the phase velocity becomes much less variable and slows down to the ionospheric convection velocity. The evolution of the flux tube in the magnetosphere has been studied using magnetic field, magnetopause and magnetosheath models. The data are consistent with an interval of azimuthally propagating magnetopause reconnection, in a manner consonant with a peeling of magnetic flux from the magnetopause, followed by an interval of anti-sunward convection of reconnected flux tubes.     

Thermochemical remanent magnetization in Jurassic silicic volcanics from Nevada,U.S.A.

Characteristic magnetizations from Middle Jurassic dacitic to andesitic subaerial volcanics (the Fulstone and Artesia Formations) in the Buckskin Mountain Range, western central Basin and Range Province, are well-grouped, generally display univectorial decays to the origin in demagnetization and have hematite blocking temperatures restricted almost entirely to above 620°C. Petrographic, rock magnetic and electron microprobe investigations confirm that nearly pure hematite is the essential magnetic phase (up to about 10 vol. %) occurring as a replacement of coarse titaniferous magnetite phenocrysts and fine groundmass particles, as a secondary alteration product of ferromagnesian phenocrysts and as a mobilized phase filling cracks and other open spaces. The presence of antipodal directions in each flow unit and in interbedded volcanoclastic units (some having retained magnetite as a major magnetic phase) and magnetite-dominated remanences in time-equivalent intrusives cutting the flows indicates that the volcanics acquired their hematite remanence, a faithful record of the geomagnetic field, in high-temperature, deuteric oxidation during and following their emplacement, not during a later thermal event such as regional metamorphism. The remanence is probably a thermochemical remanent magnetization, although part may be of thermoremanent origin.