Changes of the first Schumann resonance frequency during relativistic solar proton precipitation in the 6 November 1997 event

The variations of the first mode of Schumann resonance are analyzed using data from Kola peninsula stations during the solar proton event of 6 November 1997. On this day the intensive flux of energetic protons on GOES-8 and the 10% increase of the count rate of the neutron monitor in Apatity between 1220 and 2000 UT were preceded by a solar X-ray burst at 1155 UT. This burst was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of the Schumann frequency by 3.5%, and the relativistic proton flux increase was accompanied by 1% frequency decrease. These effects are explained by changes of the height and dielectric permeability of the Earth-ionosphere cavity.     

Schumann resonance amplitude during the Forbush effect

The time variations in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity at Apatity stations have been compared to the amplitude of the first Schumann resonance (as an indicator of the global thunderstorm activity power) for 12 cases of Forbush decreases in GCRs. A performed analysis indicated that the amplitude of the first Schumann resonance decreased only once during a Forbush decrease in GCRs as compared to the quiet conditions (during the strongest event in January 2005). In the remaining cases, a statistically significant effect was not observed.     

Enhancement of stratospheric aerosols after solar proton event

The lidar measurements at Verhnetulomski observatory (68.6°N, 31.8°E) at Kola peninsula detected a considerable increase of stratospheric aerosol concentration after the solar proton event of GLE (ground level event) type on the 16/02/84. This increase was located at precisely the same altitude range where the energetic solar protons lost their energy in the atmosphere. The aerosol layer formed precipitated quickly (1–2 km per day) during 18, 19, and 20 February 1984, and the increase of R(H) (backscattering ratio) at 17 km altitude reached 40% on 20/02/84. We present the model calculation of CN (condensation nuclei) altitude distribution on the basis of an ion-nucleation mechanism, taking into account the experimental energy distribution of incident solar protons. The meteorological situation during the event was also investigated.deceased     

Stratospheric ozone response to a solar proton event: Hemispheric asymmetries

Ozone depression in the polar stratosphere during the energetic solar proton event on 4 August 1972 was observed by the backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) experiment on the Nimbus 4 satellite. Distinct asymmetries in the columnar ozone content, the amount of ozone depressions and their temporal variations above 4 mb level (38 km) were observed between the two hemispheres. The ozone destroying solar particles precipitate rather symmetrically into the two polar atmospheres due to the geomagnetic dipole field These asymmetries can be therefore ascribed to the differences mainly in dynamics and partly in the solar illumination and the vertical temperature structure between the summer and the winter polar atmospheres. The polar stratosphere is less disturbed and warmer in the summer hemisphere than the winter hemisphere since the propagation of planetary wave from the troposphere is inhibited by the wind system in the upper troposphere, and the air is heated by the prolonged solar insolation. Correspondingly, the temporal variations of stratospheric ozone depletion and its recovery appear to be smooth functions of time in the (northern) summer hemisphere and the undisturbed ozone amount is slighily, less than that of its counterpart. On the other hand, the tempotal variation of the upper stratospheric ozone in the winter polar atmosphere (southern hemisphere) indicates large amplitudes and irregularities due to the disturbances produced by upward propagating waves which prevail in the polar winter atmosphere. These characteristic differences between the two polar atmospheres are also evident in the vertical distributions of temperature and wind observed by balloons and rocker soundings.     

Global lightning formation at a minimum and maximum of solar activity according to the observations of the Schumann resonance on the Kola Peninsula

On the basis of the two-component measurements of the atmospheric noise electromagnetic field on the Kola Peninsula, a change in the first Schumann resonance (SR-1) as an indicator of global lightning formation is studied depending on the level of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). It is found that the effect of GCRs is most evident during five months: in January and from September to December; in this case the SR-1 intensity in 2001 was higher than the level of 2007 by a factor of 1.5 and more. This effect almost disappears when the regime of the Northern Hemisphere changes into the summer regime. It is assumed that an increase in the GCR intensity results in an increase in the lightning occurrence frequency; however, the probability that the power of each lightning stroke decreases owing to an early disruption of the charge separation and accumulation processes in a thundercloud increases; on the contrary, a decrease in the GCR intensity decreases lightning stroke occurrence frequency and simultaneously increases the probability of accumulating a higher energy by a thundercloud and increasing the lightning power to the maximum possible values.     

Specific distribution of the noise electromagnetic field level at high latitudes in the vicinity of the first Schumann resonance

The distributions of the natural noise electromagnetic field level in the vicinity of the first Schumann resonance have been studied based on data from Lovozero observatory (the Kola Peninsula). Daily curves of noise level excesses over specified thresholds at different geomagnetic disturbances have been constructed. It has been indicated that the curves are morphologically similar on magnetically quiet days but are highly variable from day to day, although the averaged curves are similar in some characteristics to the unitary variation in the surface quasistatic electric field. The possibilities of applying the known formula for the probability distribution of the VLF atmospheric radio noise amplitude in order to analytically describe the noise level probability distribution have been considered. It has been detected that geomagnetic disturbances pronouncedly affect the distribution parameters, sharply increasing the amount of large-amplitude noise.     

云南地区震前舒曼谐振异常初步分析

舒曼谐振异常现象与地震活动性有较好的相关性,舒曼谐振异常现象可能与地震电离层扰动有关,是岩石层-大气层-电离层耦合的重要体现之一.本文详细介绍了云南舒曼谐振地震前兆观测台的系统结构和仪器参数,以及统计分析和震例分析的结果.永胜台观测数据显示2011年3月10日云南盈江M5.8级地震震前3天By分量出现舒曼异常,2011年1月23日临沧东部M4.0级地震震前2天By分量出现舒曼异常;通海台观测的By分量频谱分析结果显示,2011年5月22日红河州M4.2级地震当日前3阶谐振频率对应谱密度出现强烈扰动.研究表明,舒曼谐振地震前兆监测是一种可行的监测手段.     

电离层舒曼共振的空间观测

通过功率谱分析和波阻抗函数计算,本文证实了Aureol-3卫星在电离层高度上(>600km)观测到的极低频(ELF)波场扰动是和舒曼共振相关的电磁振荡.与舒曼共振地面观测相比较,Aureol-3观测到的舒曼共振电场分量具有很好的谐振谱结构,峰值频率和各阶舒曼共振本征频率对应;磁场分量的高阶峰值频率偏离14, 20, 26Hz等舒曼共振本征频率;随着卫星高度的改变,电场与磁场谐振的一阶最大能量峰值并不会发生在同一频率,结合本文分析的数据,分别位于7.8Hz和10Hz;水平方向的磁场分量更接近南北方向的线极化而不是地球－电离层空腔中的椭圆极化;波阻抗随频率表现出不太规则的准正弦振荡,它会随着频率增加和飞行高度上升呈现减小的趋势.虽然舒曼共振信号和电离层密度梯度间的非线性作用可以解释舒曼共振空间观测的部分特征,但需加入其他机制,如电离层不稳定性,传播模式的耦合,进一步了解电离层高度上舒曼共振各种特征产生的原因.     

Increase in the carbon dioxide infrared emissions during solar proton events

Increase in the nighttime high-latitude nonthermal emissions in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere in the 4.3 and 15 μm CO₂ bands during solar proton events has been estimated for the first time. The estimations have been performed for protons with energies not lower than 1 MeV precipitating into the atmosphere. A strong increase in the 4.3 μm emission can be anticipated during the above events; however, a substantial increase in the 15 μm emission is improbable. The 4.3 μm emission can increase only above approximately 80 km regardless of the energy of precipitating protons. The excitation of CO₂ vibrational states, transitions from which generate the 4.3 μm emission, is caused by the vibrational excitation of N₂ molecules due to collisions with secondary electrons, produced during solar proton events, and the following transfer of this excitation to CO₂(00⁰1) molecules during N₂-CO₂ collisions. Original Russian Text ? V.P. Ogibalov, S.N. Khvorostovskii, G.M. Shved, 2006, published in Geomagnetizm i Aeronomiya, 2006, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 159–167.     

Certain features of UHF propagation during solar proton events

Results of the experimental reception of the UHF signal from geostationary satellite, visible at a low elevation angle from the receiving point, have been considered. It has been noted that the fluctuation intensity considerably increases during powerful solar proton events. The observed effect can be caused by interference between direct and secondary rays related to tropospheric irregularities. The hypothesis explaining obtained results based on the optical model of solar-tropospheric coupling is proposed.     

Study on automatic recognition of the first motion in a seismic event

IntroductionSeismic detection is one of the most effective methods to monitor underground explosions. When an underground explosion is conducted, like an earthquake, it will radiate seismic waves. Stimulating from sources, these seismic waves travel through the Earth(s interior and surface, propagating widespread. These waves can be recorded by seismograph systems on surface. By studying the recorded seismic signals, we can obtain much detailed information on such a seismic event. We can the…     

Peculiar transient events in the Schumann resonance band and their possible explanation

Superimposed on the continuous Schumann resonance (SR) background in the extremely low frequency (ELF) band, transient signals (e.g. bursts) can be observed, which originate from intense lightning discharges occurring at different locations on the globe. From the many transients that were observed at the Astronomical and Geophysical Observatory (AGO) of Comenius University near Modra, western Slovakia, in the vertical electric field component mainly during May and June of 2006, a peculiar group of events could be recognized. According to the waveform analysis, these peculiar events in most cases consist of two overlapping transients with a characteristic time difference of 0.13–0.15 s between the onsets. On the other hand, the spectrum of these peculiar transients showed discernible SR peaks for higher modes as well (n>7). The same events could be found in the records of the Széchenyi István Geophysical Observatory of the Geodetic and Geophysical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences near Nagycenk, Hungary (NCK). The natural origin of the peculiar events was verified from the NCK data and the source location was determined from the second transient. The results suggest that the two consecutive transients originated in the same thunderstorm. Furthermore, the phase spectrum analysis indicates that the sources have coherently excited the Earth-ionosphere cavity. These findings seem to support the idea that electromagnetic waves orbiting the Earth might trigger lightning discharges. The possibility that electromagnetic waves may trigger discharges was first considered by Nikola Tesla.     

云南地区观测的舒曼谐振背景变化特征

本文利用云南地区永胜台观测的地磁南北和东西分量开展舒曼谐振的背景变化特征分析.通过提取舒曼谐振各阶频率和功率谱密度的小时均值,分析了前三阶舒曼谐振频率和功率谱密度在分点和至点前后的周日变化特征.舒曼谐振功率谱密度的周日变化与亚洲、非洲和美洲三大闪电活动中心的活跃时段以及观测站相对于三大闪电活动中心的方位密切相关.舒曼谐振频率的周日变化特征更复杂.各阶功率谱密度和频率在夏至和秋分前后的变化幅度比春分和冬至前后大.从2011年舒曼谐振频率和功率谱密度日中值的年变化图中发现,谐振频率随季节变化的特征不明显,而功率谱密度的年度变化曲线呈半周期正弦波形态,以7月份为轴对称分布.功率谱密度的季节变化特征与闪电活动的季节变化特征相一致.南北和东西分量得到的前三阶谐振频率,第一阶约稳定在7.5 Hz.而随着阶数增加,南北分量得到的谐振频率比东西分量约大0.5 Hz.高阶谐振频率发生偏移的原因目前还不清楚.     

Characteristics of relativistic solar cosmic rays during the event of December 13, 2006

The characteristics of relativistic solar protons have been obtained using the methods of optimization based on the data of ground detectors of cosmic rays during the event of December 13, 2006, which occurred under the conditions of solar activity minimum. The dynamics of relativistic solar protons during the event has been studied. It has been indicated that two populations (components) of particles exist: prompt and delayed (slow). The prompt component with a hard energy spectrum and strong anisotropy manifested itself as a pulse-shaped enhancement at Apatity and Oulu stations, which received particles with small pitch-angles. The delayed component had a wider pitch-angle distribution, as a result of which an enhancement was moderate at Barentsburg station and at most neutron monitors of the worldwide network. The energy spectra obtained from the ground-based observations are in good agreement with the direct measurements of solar protons on balloons and spacecraft.     

Splitting of the Doppler frequency shift of bi-static backscatter signals during the Sura experiments

The experimental studies of the specific behavior of small-scale artificial ionospheric irregularities at midlatitudes, performed using the Sura HF heating facility, are analyzed. The observations were performed in September 2006, using the method of bi-static backscatter by artificial ionospheric irregularities on the Armavir-Sura-St. Petersburg and Samara-Sura-Rostov-on-Don diagnostic paths. It has been detected that the Doppler frequency shift of scattered signals at 3–7 Hz was split on the Armavir-Sura-St. Petersburg path from 1500 to 1600 UT on September 6, 2006. The simultaneous measurements on the Samara-Sura-Rostov-on-Don path indicated that only one signal of bi-static backscatter was present. An analysis of the experimental data, performed using the numerical simulation results, indicated that the ordinary and extraordinary polarization modes of bi-static backscatter signals could be simultaneously observed on September 6, 2006, on the Armavir-Sura-St. Petersburg path.     

The electromagnetic background of the high frequency radio range during solar eclipses

We examine variations in the level of the electromagnetic background of the high-frequency radio range based on monitoring data conducted in Tomsk. We establish the main laws by which it changes in various frequency bands during three solar eclipses observed in Tomsk: the level of the electromagnetic background increases to 40 dB at frequencies of 3–7 MHz, decreases to 40 dB at frequencies of 11–30 MHz, and remains almost unchanged relative to the level of control days at frequencies of 7–11 MHz.     

SAR arc occurrence frequency during cycle 23 of solar activity

The occurrence frequency of SAR arcs during 1997–2006 has been analyzed based on the photometric observations at the Yakutsk meridian (Maimaga station, corrected geomagnetic coordinates: 57° N, 200° E). SAR arcs appeared in 114 cases (～500 h) during ～370 nights of observations (～3170 h). The occurrence frequency of SAR arcs increases to 27% during the growth phase of solar activity and has a clearly defined maximum ～36% at a decline of cycle 23. The SAR arc registration frequency corresponds to the variations in geomagnetic activity in this solar cycle. The dates, UT, and geomagnetic latitudes of photometric observations are presented for 1997–2006.     

Arrival of the first relativistic solar protons and conditions in the solar corona

When solar cosmic rays (SCRs) can be observed with ground-based equipment (ground-level enhancements, GLEs), events are often characterized by a rapid increase in the relativistic proton intensity during the initial phase, which makes it possible to estimate the time of particle escape from the solar corona. This phase attracts attention of researchers owing to its closeness in time to the instant of particle acceleration. It is known that the observed SCR characteristics bear traces of many physical processes, including different acceleration mechanisms the relative role of which is still unclear. Flare processes and acceleration by a shock, related to coronal mass ejection (CME), are the main pretenders to the role of SCR accelerator. Several powerful solar proton events during cycle 23 are considered in the work, and the release time of the first particles from the corona and the dynamics of CMEs have been estimated. The time series of the X-ray and radio bursts, close in time to particle escape, are analyzed. The conclusion have been drawn that the first relativistic particles were most probably accelerated during flare processes.     

Solar proton increases and dynamics of the electron outer radiation belt during solar events in December 2006

Increases in solar protons and variations in the electron and proton fluxes from the outer radiation belt are studied based on the GLONASS satellite measurements (the circular orbit at an altitude of ～20000 km with an inclination of ～65°) performed in December 2006. Indications in the channels, registered protons with energies of Ep = 3–70 MeV and electrons with energies of Ee > 0.04 and >0.8 MeV, are analyzed. The data on electrons with Ee = 0.8–1.2 MeV, measured on the Express-A3 geostationary satellite, are also presented. Before the strong magnetic storm of December 14 (|Dst|_max = 146 nT), the maximum of the outer belt electrons with the energy >0.7 MeV was observed at L ～ 4.5. After the storm, the fluxes of these electrons increased by more than an order of magnitude as compared to the prestorm level, and the maximum of a “new” belt shifted to L < 4 (minimal L reached by the GLONASS orbit). Under quiet geomagnetic conditions, solar protons with the energies >3 MeV fill only high-latitude legs of the GLONASS orbit. During the strong magnetic storm of December 15, the boundary of proton penetration into the magnetosphere almost merged with the orbital maximum of the proton radiation belt.