Results of Spectral Corona Observations in Solar Activity Cycles 17–24

The results of the work of the global observation network are considered, and a comparative analysis of the data of various coronal observatories is performed. The coronal activity index has been reconstructed for the period 1939–2016 based on the data of various observatories in Kislovodsk system. For this purpose, the corona daily intensity maps from the Sacramento Peak and Lomnický ?tít observatories according to the Solar-Geophysical Data journal have been digitized; they supplement the data of other observatories. The homogeneity and continuity of the corona observations at the Kislovodsk station, including activity cycle 24, is confirmed. Unfortunately, the only observatory at present that continues observation of the spectral corona in Fe XIV 5303 Å and Fe XIV 6374 Å lines is the Kislovodsk astronomical station Mountain Astronomical Station (MAS) of the Central Astronomical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences (Pulkovo). The data on the combined corona in 5303 Å line are analyzed. It is shown that there is a high correlation of the intensity index of green corona with solar radiation measurements in the vacuum UV region. Data on the beginning of the new 25th activity cycle in the corona at high latitudes are presented.     

Polar Activity of the Sun and Latitudinal Activity Drifts in Cycles 15–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The solar activity at different latitudes is analyzed based on daily observations at Kodaikanal, Mount Wilson, Sacramento Peak, and Meudon observatories in the CaIIK...     

Asymmetry of Sunspot Distribution in Solar Cycles 12–24 and the Gnevyshev–Ohl Rule

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The nonaxisymmetric component of the sunspot distribution (longitudinal asymmetry) is considered based on the Greenwich–USAF/NOAA data for 1874–2016. Vector...     

Drift of Polar Prominences in Solar Cycles 13–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - A comparative analysis of the drift velocity of high-latitude prominences to the poles in solar cycles 13–24 is carried out. Data on the positions of prominences...     

Polar and Low-Latitude Faculae in Activity Cycles 23–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Polar and low-latitude faculae were identified in daily images based on white-light observations from the MDI (1996–2011) and SOHO (2010–2019) space...     

Positive and Negative Photospheric Fields in Solar Cycles 21–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The distribution of positive and negative photospheric fields is considered based on the synoptic maps of the photospheric magnetic field from the National Solar...     

Characteristic Features of Solar Cosmic Rays in the 21st–24th Solar-Activity Cycles According to Data from Catalogs of Solar Proton Events

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Homogeneous series of solar cosmic-ray events for four solar-activity cycles against the background of decreased activity in cycles 23 and 24 are considered. The number...     

Study of Distribution and Asymmetry in Soft X-ray Flares over Solar Cycles 21–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - This paper investigates the North–South (N–S) as well as East–West (E–W) distribution and asymmetry in Soft X-ray flares (SXR) activity during...     

Latitude-Longitude Characteristics of the North–South Asymmetry of Solar Activity

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The characteristics of the latitude-longitude distribution of the north–south (NS) asymmetry of the number of sunspots for the period of 1874–2013 are...     

Coronal Holes as Tracers of the Sun’s Global Magnetic Field in Cycles 21–23 of Solar Activity

The dependences of the number and parameters of non-polar coronal holes (CHs) on characteristics of the Sun’s global magnetic field (GMF) are investigated in cycles 21–23 of solar activity (1976–2012) based on data from the CH catalog of the Mountain Astronomical Station of the Main (Pulkovo) Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The influence of variations in the GMF structural arrangement on the CH number and parameters is considered. It is shown that the more stable and steadystate the GMF topology is in the cycle, the higher are the GMF values. The majority of CHs form over periods of stable GMF structure. With a growth in the rate of structural GMF changes, the CH number and the values of all CH parameters decrease. The correlation between the area, extension in latitude and longitude, and magnetic flux of CHs and the intensity of both the calculated coronal field and the observed large-scale photospheric magnetic field is higher in cycles with larger magnetic-field values and with a more stable GMF structure. Non-polar CHs are divided into three groups depending on the GMF value and a rate of the structural GMF rearrangement.     

Dynamics of Ionospheric Alfvén Resonances from the End of Cycle 21 through Cycle 24 of Solar Activity

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The results of the study of the dynamics of ionospheric Alfvén resonances (IARs) in a range of 0–10 Hz based on data from magnetic field observations at the...     

Latitudinal Profiles of the Photospheric Magnetic Field in Solar Cycles 19–21

For various groups of photospheric magnetic fields differing in strength, averaged synoptic maps have been obtained from the data of the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory (1976–2003). The latitudinal profiles of magnetic field fluxes are considered individually for each 5-G field strength interval. Changes in the maxima of the latitude profiles and their localization in the latitude are studied. The results are evidence that the latitudinal distribution of the magnetic fields changes significantly at field strengths of 5, 15, and 50 G. The magnetic flux for groups of fields differing in strength decreases monotonically as the strength increases, starting from B > 5 G; the fluxes of the southern hemisphere exceed those of the northern hemisphere. A very special group is formed by the weakest fields with B < 5 G, which are opposite in phase to stronger fields in terms of localization and time changes.     

Time Series Forecasting of Hourly Relativistic Electrons at Geostationary Orbit during Solar Cycles 23–24

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Forecasting of the dynamically relativistic electrons is crucial to alert of the flux enhancements that pose a significant threat to satellite operation at geostationary...     

Worst-Case GPS Scintillations on the Ground Estimated from Radio Occultation Observations of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC During 2007–2014

The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) satellite probes the S4 scintillation index profile of GPS signals by using the radio occultation (RO) technique. In this study, for practical use on the Earth’s surface, a method is developed to convert and integrate the probed RO S4 index, so obtaining the scintillation on the ground. To estimate the worst case, the maximum value on each profile probed by F3/C, which is termed S4max, is isolated. The isolated data are further used to construct the global three-dimensional distributions of S4max for various local times, seasons, solar activities, and locations. The converted S4max for the first time estimates the global distribution of ionospheric scintillations in the GPS L1 band C/A code signal on the ground. The results show that the worst-case scintillations appear within the low-latitude region of ±30°N, peaking around ±20°N magnetic latitude; they begin at 1900 MLT, reach their maximum at 2100 MLT, and vanish by about 0200–0300 MLT. The most pronounced low-latitude scintillation occurs over the South American and African sectors.     

Reconstruction of the Solar Activity in 1000–1700 Based on Auroral Data with Allowance for the Contribution of the Main Magnetic Field of the Earth

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - A new reconstruction of the number of sunspots (SN) in 1000–1700, along with possible errors, has been obtained based on an analysis of auroral observations at...     

The Ionospheric foF2 Data over Istanbul and their Response to Solar Activity for the Years 1964–1969 and 1993

A Polish-made vertical ionosonde (VI) has been operated at the Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul, for almost one year (May 1993 - April 1994) as part of the COST 238, PRIME Project, The critical frequencies were obtained for every half-hour interval. The data obtained during this campaign, on the descending branch of solar cycle 22, and the data measured earlier in Istanbul for cycle 20 were analysed and the characteristic behaviour of the F2 region ionosphere over Istanbul has been determined. This is a unique data set for this area. Several markers of the solar cycle activities in terms of the daily relative sunspot numbers, F10.7 cm solar radio flux and solar flare index, and the magnetic daily index of Ap were then used to seek the possible influence of the solar and ionospheric activities on the critical frequencies observed in Istanbul. It was found that the solar flare index, as a solar activity index, was more reliable in determining quiet ionospheric days. It is shown that the minimum and maximum time values of the solar activity are more convenient for ionospheric prediction and modelling.     

Observed Response of the Ionospheric F2–Layer and Lower Thermosphere to Geomagnetic Storms during High Solar Activity

The response of the critical frequency of the ionosphere F2–layer, described by its main Fourier components (daily constant, diurnal and semidiurnal waves) and the lower thermosphere dynamics to the geomagnetic storms in July 1991 and February 1992 is studied. The daily constant displays a negative response, however, the magnitude of reaction depends on the season and latitude. The amplitudes of diurnal and semidiurnal waves increase during a geomagnetic storm, as this enhancement is very strong at high latitudes in winter. The prevailing neutral wind, especially the zonal wind, shows an inclination to decrease during the geomagnetic storm (the effect is more distinct in summer). The amplitudes of diurnal and semidiurnal tides also demonstrate a tendency toward reduction during high geomagnetic activity.     

Dynamics of the Annual Variation in the Climate Variables of the Earth’s Atmosphere and Their Relation to Solar Activity

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - In this article, the dynamics of the annual variation in the mean monthly values of temperature and precipitation is studied via the expansion of series into natural...     

Manifestation of the Lunar–Solar Tide and Free Oscillations of the Earth in the Variations of the Magnetic Field

The results of processing and analyzing the instrumental observations of the Earth’s magnetic field at the Geophysical Observatory Mikhnevo of the Institute of Geosphere Dynamics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IGD RAS) for 2010–2015 are presented. Quasi-harmonic components with the periods close to the lunar–solar tidal waves are revealed in the spectra of geomagnetic variations over a period of 0.4 to 30 days. The elliptical S₁ tidal wave which is detected in the geomagnetic variations has modulations with periods of 1/3, 1/2, and 1 year. The spectra of the geomagnetic variations contain peaks corresponding to the free oscillations of the Earth. The analysis of the time series of the magnetic field for the period of the strong earthquakes in the absence of geomagnetic disturbances revealed the fine structure of the Earth’s fundamental spheroidal mode ₀S₂, which splits into five singlets. The established features of the spectrum of geomagnetic variations are helping the development of the new method for studying the deep structure of the Earth and the properties of the inner geospheres for estimating the viscosity of the Earth’s outer core and dynamics of the current systems in the outer (liquid) core, as well as for exploring, with the use of empirical data, the general regularities governing the regimes of energy exchange processes in the geospheres.     

Corona Satellite Pictures for Archaeological Studies: A Review and Application to the Lost Forbidden City of the Han–Wei Dynasties

This paper provides a state of the art of the use of declassified satellite Corona for archaeological application and deals with the use of historical archives of Corona and aerial photographs for detecting ancient hidden cultural relics that may be completely lost in the modern landscape veiled by current land uses and land covers. Geospatial analysis is adopted to identify, extract and map the subtle archaeological features and cultural landscape of the lost Han–Wei Forbidden City in the Henan Province (China). It was one of the most important cities of ancient China, served as the capital for a long period, from the Eastern Zhou (2600 BP, Zhou Dynasty) to the Eastern Han and Wei Dynasties (1900–1500 BP). Outputs from our investigations clearly provided evidence of numerous buried structures of potential archaeological interest that were compared with historical documentation and excavations carried out in the area. The geospatial analysis, applied both to aerial photograph and to Corona pictures, enabled us to discover a number of unknown sub-palaces and structures, thus providing new insights for this important archaeological area.