Real-time monitoring of solar activity. Manifestations of solar activity on earth
Solar activity is a set of phenomena that periodically occur in the solar atmosphere. Manifestations of solar activity are associated with the magnetic properties of solar plasma.
What causes solar activity? The magnetic flux in one of the regions of the photosphere gradually increases. Then the brightness in the hydrogen and calcium lines increases here. Such areas are called flocculi.
In approximately the same areas on the Sun in the photosphere (i.e., somewhat deeper), an increase in brightness in white (visible) light is also observed. This phenomenon is called flares.
The increase in energy released in the region of the torch and flocculus is a consequence of increased tension magnetic field.
1-2 days after the appearance of the flocculus, sunspots appear in the active area in the form of small black dots - pores. Many of them soon disappear, only individual pores turn into large dark formations in 2-3 days. A typical sunspot is several tens of thousands of kilometers in size and consists of a dark central part (umbra) and a fibrous penumbra.
The first reports of sunspots date back to 800 BC. e. in China, the first drawings date back to 1128. In 1610, astronomers began using a telescope to observe the Sun. Initial research focused mainly on the nature of the spots and their behavior. But, despite research, the physical nature of the spots remained unclear until the 20th century. By the 19th century, there was already a long enough series of observations of the number of sunspots to determine periodic cycles in solar activity. In 1845, Professors D. Henry and S. Alexander of Princeton University observed the Sun using a thermometer and determined that the sunspots emitted less radiation than the surrounding areas of the Sun. Later, above average radiation was determined in the plume regions.
Characteristics of sunspots
The most main feature spots - the presence of strong magnetic fields in them, reaching the greatest intensity in the shadow area. Imagine a tube extending into the photosphere power lines magnetic field. The upper part of the tube expands, and the lines of force in it diverge, like ears of corn in a sheaf. Therefore, around the shadow, magnetic field lines take a direction close to horizontal. The magnetic field, as it were, expands the spot from the inside and suppresses the convective movements of the gas, transferring energy from the depths upward. Therefore, in the area of the spot, the temperature turns out to be approximately 1000 K lower. The spot is, as it were, a cooled hole in the solar photosphere bound by a magnetic field.
Most often, spots appear in whole groups, but two large spots stand out in them. One, small, is in the west, and the other, smaller, is in the east. There are often many small spots around and between them. Such a group of spots is called bipolar, because large spots always opposite polarity of the magnetic field. They seem to be connected to the same tube of magnetic field lines, which in the form of a giant loop emerged from under the photosphere, leaving the ends somewhere in deep layers, it is impossible to see them. The spot from which the magnetic field exits the photosphere has a northern polarity, and the one into which the force field enters back under the photosphere has a southern polarity.
Solar flares are the most powerful manifestation of solar activity. They occur in relatively small regions of the chromosphere and corona located above groups of sunspots. Simply put, flares are an explosion caused by the sudden compression of solar plasma. Compression occurs under the pressure of a magnetic field and leads to the formation of a long plasma rope tens and even hundreds of thousands of kilometers long. The amount of explosion energy is from 10²³ J. The source of energy of flares differs from the source of energy of the entire Sun. It is clear that the flares are of an electromagnetic nature. The energy emitted by a flare in the short-wave region of the spectrum consists of ultraviolet and x-rays.
Like any large explosion, the flare generates a shock wave that propagates upward into the corona and along the surface layers of the solar atmosphere. Radiation from solar flares has a particularly strong impact on the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere and ionosphere. As a result, a whole complex of geophysical phenomena occurs on Earth.
The most ambitious formations in the solar atmosphere are prominences. These are dense clouds of gases that arise in the solar corona or are ejected into it from the chromosphere. A typical prominence looks like a giant luminous arch resting on the chromosphere and formed by jets and flows of matter denser than the corona. The temperature of the prominences is about 20,000 K. Some of them exist in the corona for several months, others, appearing next to the spots, move quickly at speeds of about 100 km/s and exist for several weeks. Individual prominences move at even greater speeds and suddenly explode; they are called eruptive. The sizes of prominences can be different. A typical prominence is about 40,000 km high and about 200,000 km wide.
There are many types of prominences. In photographs of the chromosphere in the red spectral line of hydrogen, prominences are clearly visible on the solar disk in the form of dark long filaments.
Regions on the Sun in which intense manifestations of solar activity are observed are called centers of solar activity. The overall activity of the Sun changes periodically. There are many ways to estimate the level of solar activity. Solar activity index - Wolf numbers W. W= k (f+10g), where k is a coefficient that takes into account the quality of the instrument and the observations made with it, f is the total number of sunspots observed in at the moment on the Sun, g is ten times the number of groups they form.
The era when the number of activity centers is greatest is considered the maximum of solar activity. And when there are none at all or almost none – at a minimum. Maximums and minimums alternate with an average period of 11 years - the eleven-year cycle of solar activity.
This influence is very great. A.L. Chizhevsky was the first to study this influence in June 1915. Northern lights were observed in Russia and even in North America, and “magnetic storms continuously disrupted the movement of telegrams.” During this period, the scientist draws attention to the fact that increased solar activity coincides with bloodshed on Earth. Indeed, immediately after the appearance of large sunspots on many fronts of the First World War, hostilities intensified. He devoted his entire life to this research, but his book “In the Rhythm of the Sun” remained unfinished and was published only in 1969, 4 years after Chizhevsky’s death. He drew attention to the connection between increased solar activity and earthly disasters.
By turning one or the other hemisphere towards the Sun, the Earth receives energy. This flow can be represented in the form of a traveling wave: where the light falls there is its crest, where it is dark there is a trough: the energy either rises or falls.
Magnetic fields and particle flows that come from sunspots reach the Earth and affect the brain, cardiovascular and circulatory systems of a person, his physical, nervous and psychological state. A high level of solar activity and its rapid changes excite a person.
Now the influence of solar activity on Earth is being studied very actively. New sciences have appeared - heliobiology, solar-terrestrial physics - which study the relationship between life on Earth, weather, climate and manifestations of solar activity.
Astronomers say the Sun is getting brighter and hotter. This is because its magnetic field activity has more than doubled over the past 90 years, with the greatest increase occurring in the last 30 years. Scientists can now predict solar flares, which makes it possible to prepare in advance for possible failures in the operation of radio and electrical networks.
Strong solar activity can cause power lines on Earth to fail and the orbits of satellites that support communications systems and planes and ocean liners to change. Solar "violence" is usually characterized by powerful flares and the appearance of many spots. Chizhevsky found that during periods of increased solar activity ( large quantity sunspots), wars, revolutions, natural disasters, catastrophes, epidemics occur on Earth, the intensity of bacterial growth increases (“Chizhevsky-Velkhover effect”). Here is what he writes in his book “The Terrestrial Echo of Solar Storms”: “The quantity and infinitely varied quality of the physical and chemical factors surrounding us from all sides - nature - are infinitely large. Powerful interacting forces come from outer space. The Sun, Moon, planets and an infinite number of celestial bodies are connected to the Earth by invisible bonds. The movement of the Earth is controlled by gravitational forces, which cause a number of deformations in the air, liquid and solid shells of our planet, make them pulsate, and produce tides. The position of the planets in the solar system affects the distribution and intensity of the Earth's electrical and magnetic forces.
But the greatest impact on physical and organic life The Earth has radiation coming towards the Earth from all directions of the Universe. They connect the outer parts of the Earth directly with the cosmic environment, make it related to it, constantly interact with it, and therefore both the outer face of the Earth and the life that fills it are the result of the creative influence of cosmic forces. And therefore, the structure of the earth’s shell, its physico-chemistry and biosphere are a manifestation of the structure and mechanics of the Universe, and not a random play of local forces. Science endlessly expands the boundaries of our direct perception of nature and our perception of the world. Not the Earth, but the cosmic expanses become our homeland, and we begin to feel in all its true greatness the significance for all earthly existence of both the movement of distant celestial bodies and the movement of their messengers - radiation...”
In 1980, a technique appeared that made it possible to detect the presence of spots in the photospheres of other stars. It turned out that many stars of spectral class G and K have sunspots similar to those of the sun, with a magnetic field of the same order. The activity cycles of such stars have been recorded and studied. They are close to the solar cycle and range from 5 to 10 years.
There are hypotheses about the influence of changes in the physical parameters of the Sun on the Earth's climate.
Terrestrial auroras are visible result interactions of the solar wind, solar and terrestrial magnetospheres and atmosphere. Extreme events associated with solar activity lead to significant disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, which causes geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms are one of the essential elements space weather and affect many areas of human activity, from which we can highlight the disruption of communications, navigation systems spaceships, the occurrence of eddy induction currents in transformers and pipelines and even the destruction of energy systems.
Magnetic storms also affect people's health and well-being. The branch of biophysics that studies the influence of changes in solar activity and the disturbances it causes in the earth's magnetosphere on earth's organisms is called heliobiology.
In order not to miss solar flares and subsequent auroras in the future, I am adding information about solar activity in real time. To update the information, reload the page.
Solar flares
The graph shows the total flux of solar X-ray radiation received from the GOES series satellites in real time. Solar flares are visible as bursts of intensity. During powerful flares, radio communications in the HF range on the daytime side of the Earth are disrupted. The extent of these disturbances depends on the power of the flash. The score (C,M,X) of flares and their power in W/m 2 are indicated on the left coordinate axis on a logarithmic scale. NOAA's probable radio disturbance level (R1-R5) is shown on the right. The graph shows the development of events in October 2003.
Solar cosmic rays (radiation bursts)
10-15 minutes after powerful solar flares, high-energy protons - > 10 MeV or so-called solar cosmic rays (SCR) - arrive to the Earth. In Western literature - High energy proton flux and Solar Radiation Storms i.e. a stream of high energy protons or a solar radiation storm. This radiation strike can cause disturbances and breakdowns in spacecraft equipment, lead to dangerous exposure of astronauts and increased radiation doses to passengers and crews of jet aircraft at high latitudes.
Geomagnetic disturbance index and magnetic storms
The intensification of the solar wind flow and the arrival of coronal ejection shock waves cause strong variations in the geomagnetic field - magnetic storms. Based on data received from the GOES series spacecraft, the level of geomagnetic field disturbance is calculated in real time, which is presented on the graph.
Below is the proton index
Protons take part in thermonuclear reactions, which are the main source of energy generated by stars. In particular, the reactions of the pp cycle, which is the source of almost all the energy emitted by the Sun, come down to the combination of four protons into a helium-4 nucleus with the conversion of two protons into neutrons.
Maximum expected UV index value
Austria, Gerlitzen. 1526 m.
UV Index Values
Austria, Gerlitzen. 1526 m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | >10 |
| short | moderate | strong | very strong | extreme | ||||||
Components of magnetic field
Dependences of variations of magnetic field components in gammas on local time.
Local time is expressed in hours of Tomsk Summer Daylight Time (TLDV). TLDV=UTC+7hours.
Below is the level of geomagnetic field disturbance in K-indices.
Solar flares according to GOES-15 satellite data
Proton and electron flux taken from GOES-13 GOES Hp, GOES-13 and GOES-11
Solar X-ray Flux
Solar flaresThere are five categories on the scale (in increasing power): A, B, C, M and X. In addition to the category, each flash is assigned a number. For the first four categories this is a number from zero to ten, and for category X it is from zero and above.
HAARP fluxgate (magnetometer)"Component H" (black trace) is positive magnetic north,
"Component D" (red trace) is positive East,
"Component Z" (blue trace) is positive down
More details: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/cgi-bin/magnetometer/gak-mag.cgi
The GOES Hp plot contains 1-minute averaged parallel magnetic field components in nanoTeslas (nT) measured by GOES-13 (W75) and GOES-11 (W135).
Note: The time in the pictures is North Atlantic, that is, relative to
Moscow time needs to be subtracted 7 hours (GMT-4:00)
Sources of information:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/rt_plots/index.html
Here is a simulation of solar activity in real time. Images are updated every 30 minutes. It is possible that sensors and cameras on satellites may be switched off periodically due to technical faults.
Image of the Sun in real time (online).Ultraviolet telescope, bright spots correspond to 60-80 thousand degrees Kelvin. SOHO LASCO C3 satellite
Image of the sun's corona in real time (online). Characteristics of the SunDistance to the Sun: 149.6 million km = 1.496· 1011 m = 8.31 light minutes
Radius of the Sun: 695,990 km or 109 Earth radii
Mass of the Sun: 1.989 1030 kg = 333,000 Earth masses
Solar surface temperature: 5770 K
Chemical composition of the Sun on the surface: 70% hydrogen (H), 28% helium (He), 2% other elements (C, N, O, ...) by mass
Temperature at the center of the Sun: 15,600,000 K
Chemical composition at the center of the Sun: 35% hydrogen (H), 63% helium (He), 2% other elements (C, N, O, ...) by mass
The sun is the main source of energy on Earth.| Main Features | |
| Average distance from Earth | 1,496×10 11 m (8.31 light minutes) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | -26.74 m |
| Absolute magnitude | 4.83 m |
| Spectral class | G2V |
| Orbit parameters | |
| Distance from the center of the Galaxy | ~2.5×10 20 m (26,000 light years) |
| Distance from the Galaxy plane | ~4.6×10 17 m (48 light years) |
| Galactic orbital period | 2.25-2.50×10 8 years |
| Speed | 2.17×10 5 m/s (in orbit around the galactic center) 2×10 4 m/s (relative to neighboring stars) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Average diameter | 1.392×10 9 m (109 Earth diameters) |
| Equatorial radius | 6.955×10 8 m |
| Equator circumference | 4.379×10 9 m |
| Flattening | 9×10 -6 |
| Surface area | 6.088×10 18 m 2 (11,900 Earth areas) |
| Volume | 1.4122×10 27 m 2 (1,300,000 Earth volumes) |
| Weight | 1.9891×10 30 kg (332,946 Earth masses) |
| Average density | 1409 kg/m 3 |
| Acceleration at the equator | 274.0 m/s 2 (27.94 g) |
| Second escape velocity | (for surface) 617.7 km/s (55 earth) |
| Effective surface temperature | 5515 C° |
| Corona temperature | ~1,500,000 C° |
| Core temperature | ~13,500,000 C° |
| Luminosity | 3.846×10 26 W ~3.75×10 28 Lm |
| Brightness | 2.009×10 7 W/m 2 /sr |
| Rotation characteristics | |
| Axis tilt | 7.25°(relative to the ecliptic plane) 67.23°(relative to the Galaxy plane) |
| Right ascension of the north pole | 286.13° (19 h 4 min 30 s) |
| North pole declination | +63.87° |
| Rotation speed of outer visible layers | (at the equator) 7284 km/h |
| Composition of the photosphere | |
| Hydrogen | 73,46 % |
| Helium | 24,85 % |
| Oxygen | 0,77 % |
| Carbon | 0,29 % |
| Iron | 0,16 % |
| Sulfur | 0,12 % |
| Neon | 0,12 % |
| Nitrogen | 0,09 % |
| Silicon | 0,07 % |
| Magnesium | 0,05 % |
We will be able to see what is happening now in space. Sometimes, a photo appears on our portal in a matter of minutes after the camera shutter in the Universe has been triggered. This means that before this the image managed to travel... one and a half million kilometers. It is at this distance that the satellites are located.
We will start broadcasting images of the Sun with a new modern space telescope. These images are amazing. Thanks to two American satellites, the STEREO twins, we can see the invisible. That is, that side of the star that is hidden from observation from Earth.
The diagram above shows that observatory satellites A and B make it possible to observe the Sun from opposite sides. Initially, it was planned that over time their orbits would diverge so that we would be able to see the Sun not just from the side, but completely from the opposite side. And in February 2011 it happened.
What we can see right now looks like science fiction. Almost in real time we observe the hidden life of space. His secret. And clouds, clouds and other atmospheric phenomena will never interfere with this. Space is an ideal place for such observations. By the way, 90 percent of all the phenomena that occur here are incomprehensible to scientists. Including in the behavior of the star closest to us. Maybe you will help make the fundamental clues?
Look: here it is - our Sun (in the picture below), modestly hidden behind a “stub” so as not to expose the image to light. A wide-angle lens allows you to see hundreds of thousands of kilometers around. This was done specifically so that we could see the solar corona.
This image is broadcast from the STEREO B satellite. The time on the image is in Greenwich Mean Time.
Time GMT (Greenwich Mean Time): If emissions occur towards the Earth, their direction will be towards the right edge. It is precisely such bright radiant flashes that pose a danger to us earthlings. Sometimes, scientists hastily write clues on an image with an electronic pen. Notifying us about the appearance of a comet or planet in the frame. Above is the next “picture” from the STEREO B satellite, labeled behind_euvi_195, but now with a view directly to the Sun itself. We are observing: is there activity on the visible side? Depending on the location of the flashes on the right edge, you will be able to predict how quickly they will appear on the visible side. Let us remember that the surface layers of the Sun make a full revolution about 25 days. Rotation occurs from left to right. The greenish color in the image appears because the telescope is imaging the Sun's atmosphere at a specific wavelength. In this case - 195 A (Angstrom). We “look” into the temperature layer of the star at a level of about one and a half million degrees Celsius. But in the next image (below) we can see a more superficial layer heated to 80,000°C. But we are already seeing a broadcast from another amazing telescope - the SDO space observatory. It was launched into space in 2010. Its main goal is to study dynamic processes on the Sun.
SDO transmits images very quickly. You can see this yourself by the universal time markings in the picture. It is noteworthy that this observatory's view of the Sun exactly matches how we ourselves see it from Earth. It is from this side that the most dangerous prominences “shoot” at us and magnetic storms come. And they are formed, in most cases, in dark areas - spots. Their widespread appearance is an alarming sign of magnetic unrest. This means that a magnetic storm may occur on Earth. And it is the broadcast image below that allows us to observe its harbingers - spots.
If stains appear, spend more time close attention to your health. It has been proven that absolutely all people are susceptible to magnetic storms. But for some, defense mechanisms work better, for others - worse. The reasons for this difference are unclear to scientists.
HOW TO BEHAVIOR DURING MAGNETIC STORMS?
General advice from general practitioner Miroslava BUZKO:
FOR THE FIRST TIME! Our portal has started a live broadcast from the International space station: life of astronauts, official negotiations, dockings, views of the Earth in real time.
By the way, the turbulent geomagnetic environment created on Earth by the Sun is most relevant for those who live closer to the North. This is caused by the structure of our planet and its position in space. Geographically, the most affected by solar storms are Russia (Siberia and the European North), the USA (Alaska) and Canada.
Let us recall that solar images appear on the portal with a time delay necessary for their transmission from the space observatory and processing for display. Everything is done automatically.
If you see a distorted “picture” in the image, this means that a technical failure has occurred. Sometimes, this may be the Sun itself, which once again splashed out its gigantic energy on those around us: And these emissions can very seriously threaten our civilization. Most modern electronic devices are not protected from the effects of abnormal solar radiation. They can fail instantly.
About the current poor prognosis We remind you that you can read about the activity of the Sun and the reasons that can greatly destroy the earth’s infrastructure in the material “Achilles’ heel of the new century”
Watch the life of a real Star! Our lives really depend on it:
(Broadcast thanks to openness in the provision of information from the EU space agencies and NASA)
Sun Impact Iformer
Shown are the average predicted values of the global geomagnetic index Kp, based on geophysical data from twelve observatories around the world collected by the NOAA SWPC Solar Service. The forecast below is updated daily. By the way, you can easily see that scientists are almost incapable of predicting solar events. It is enough to compare their predictions with the real situation. Now the three-day forecast looks like this:
Kp index - characterizes the planetary geomagnetic field, that is, on the scale of the entire Earth. For each day, eight values are shown - for each three-hour time interval, during the day (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, 15-18, 18-21, 21-00 hours) . Time indicated is Moscow (msk)
Vertical lines GREEN (I) - safe level geomagnetic activity.
Vertical lines of RED color (I) - magnetic storm (Kp>5). The higher the red vertical line, the stronger the storm. The level at which noticeable effects on the health of weather-sensitive people are likely (Kp=7) is marked with a horizontal red line.
Below you can see a real display of the geomagnetic influence of the Sun. Using the Kp-index value scale, determine the degree of its danger to your health. A figure above 4-5 units means the onset of a magnetic storm. Note that in this case, the level is quickly displayed on the chart solar radiation has already reached the Earth. This data is recorded and released every three hours by several tracking stations in the United States,
Canada and Great Britain. And we see the summary result thanks to the Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center)
IMPORTANT! Considering that a dangerous release of solar energy reaches the Earth no earlier than in a day, you yourself, taking into account the operational images of the Sun broadcast above, will be able to prepare in advance for adverse effects, the level of which is displayed below.
Geomagnetic disturbance index and magnetic stormsThe Kp index determines the degree of geomagnetic disturbance. The higher the Kp index, the greater the disturbance. Kp< 4 — слабые возмущения, Kp >4 - strong disturbances.
Solar exposure informer designation
X-ray radiation from the Sun*
Normal: Normal solar X-ray flux.
Active : Increased solar X-ray radiation.
With the development of space technology, you can monitor the activity of our star online
Here you can watch our space weather online, which mainly depends on the activity of our star. The data comes directly from the SDO satellite and is updated very frequently, so you can always know the exact status of our Sun's activity and space weather.
The data presented below was obtained by the AIA instrument installed on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft and is intended to obtain high-quality images of the corona. The images cover at least 1.3 solar diameters in several wavelengths, with a resolution of about 1 arcsecond.
The main goal of the AIA instrument is to significantly improve our understanding of the physics of the solar atmosphere that shapes space weather. The AIA instrument produces the data needed to quantitatively study coronal magnetic fields and plasmas. It provides new insights into observable processes and ultimately develops the advanced forecasting tools we all need
Below are snapshots of the Sun's activity today online in real time
The wavelength is 193 angstroms (encompassing the corona), which corresponds to a temperature of about 1.2 million degrees.
The state of space weather in the solar system depends on our star. Flows of ionized plasma, hard radiation and flares, solar wind, these are the main parameters.
The wavelength is 171 angstroms (encompasses the quiet corona), which corresponds to a temperature of about 0.6 million degrees.
The wavelength is 94 angstroms (hot corona), which corresponds to a temperature of about 6.3 million degrees.
The wavelength is 304 angstroms (covers the transition layer and the chromosphere), which corresponds to a temperature of about 50,000 degrees.
The wavelength is 4500 angstroms (photosphere), which corresponds to a temperature of about 5000 degrees.
The wavelength is 1600 angstroms (transition layer and upper photosphere), which corresponds to a temperature of about 5000 degrees.
Online graph of space weather activityContains the following parameters: a graph of protons (data from the GOES-13 satellite), electrons, as well as data on the magnetic field near the Earth and magnetic storms (lower part of the image). Update every 5 minutes.
Parameters of the solar wind and magnetic field near the EarthThe diagram below shows solar wind and magnetic field data. Updates every 15-20 minutes. They clearly show the speed of the solar wind and other parameters in near-Earth space.
State of solar activity today
(red - extreme, yellow [-50 nT > Dst > -100 nT] - high, green [-20 nT > Dst > -50 nT] - medium, blue - low)
The black arrow indicates the current value of solar activity for today.
Instabilities that arise under conditions of strong deviation from equilibrium play a decisive role in the Sun-Earth system. Since the earth's atmosphere is stratified by height , in the gravitational field she is in an unstable equilibrium. A change in the flow of solar plasma can cause a fairly strong deviation from equilibrium, which will lead to additional instability in a number of processes in the Earth's atmosphere. Solar activity acts as a kind of “trigger” that gives impetus to the development of various instabilities.
Specific features of turbulence in the atmosphere are a wide range of scales of turbulent inhomogeneities (from mm to thousand km) and the significant influence of the vertical density distribution on the development of small-scale turbulence. An important role in the formation of the turbulence structure is played by various types of instabilities inherent in moving air masses. Under conditions of highly developed turbulence in the atmosphere, global air circulation also becomes unstable. Vortexes arise, covering a space of thousands of kilometers and ultimately breaking up into smaller ones (from cm to mm). For small eddy sizes, viscosity suppresses turbulent fluctuations. All currents in the atmosphere, one way or another related to convection, turn out to be not only complex, but also unstable even relative to weak external disturbances.
General circulation of the atmosphere.The main factors influencing the formation of the Earth's climate are solar radiation, atmospheric circulation and the nature of the underlying surface. Under their joint influence, the formation occurs climatic zones globe. The amount of solar heat received depends on a number of factors. The determining factor is the angle of incidence of the sun's rays. Therefore, at low latitudes, much more solar energy comes in than at middle and even higher latitudes. The general circulation of the atmosphere is the closed flow of air masses that occurs on a hemispheric or global scale and leads to the latitudinal and meridional transfer of matter and energy in the atmosphere. Main reason the occurrence of air currents in the atmosphere - uneven distribution of heat on the surface of the Earth, which leads to unequal heating of the soil and air in different zones of the globe, therefore solar energy is the root cause of all movements in the air shell of the Earth. In addition to the influx of solar energy, to the most important factors, causing the occurrence of wind, include the rotation of the Earth around its axis, the heterogeneity of the underlying surface and the friction of air on the soil. Air movements of the most varied scales are observed in the earth's atmosphere - from tens and hundreds of meters (local winds) to hundreds and thousands of kilometers (cyclones, anticyclones, monsoons, trade winds, planetary frontal zones). One ancient book describes the circulation in the atmosphere this way: “The equator is like a hot steam boiler. The white pole caps there are refrigerators. And the firebox is the Sun. The radiant heat of the sun heats the boiler - the air of the equator. The heated air rises and flows to the refrigerators, cools there and, falling, flows below to the equator. This is how a huge air wheel rotates above the Earth, which drives the Sun.” This is the first ring of planetary circulation. However, the rotation of the Earth deflects these moving masses to the right in the northern hemisphere, and to the left in the southern. As a result, the air flows not to the north, but to the northeast, and somewhere at 30 degrees from the equator it no longer flows along the meridian, but along the latitude from west to east. The accumulation of air in the region of 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres leads to the formation of a belt high blood pressure above the surface of the Earth. From this belt the air spreads in both directions, deflecting under the influence of Coriolis forces. Part of the air masses, cooling, turns back - towards the equator and moves in a north-easterly direction. Such air currents called trade winds, they close the second ring of atmospheric circulation, the trade wind ring. Other masses go further north, but the Coriolis force deflects them to the right. Here a system of southwestern and western winds is formed, prevailing in temperate latitudes. At the north pole, the air, cooling, falls down and spreads to the south, at the south pole - to the north. At the same time, the wind takes on a direction from east to west. When meeting the air of temperate latitudes, these air masses rise. This closes the third ring of air mass movement. This is a very simplified, outdated picture of planetary circulation, containing only three closed rings. In nature, however, these rings are connected into a single mechanism. Real winds often change their routes. Equatorial air sometimes breaks through the trade wind ring and reaches the pole. On the Mediterranean coast, due to the influx of Arctic air, it can be so cold in the spring that gardens freeze. In addition, the underlying surface of the Earth is very diverse - continents, oceans, etc. Each continent heats up very quickly in the summer and cools down in the winter. This means that in the “kitchen of the planet” there are other “boilers” and “refrigerators” that work differently in each season. In winter, the continent is a refrigerator, and the ocean is a boiler; in summer, it’s the other way around. Thus, the monsoon wheel also joins the complex air circulation, which rotates in one direction in summer and in the other in winter.
Modern principles of classification of forms of atmospheric circulation of the northern hemisphere Wangenheim - Giers.Air masses constantly move around the globe. The speed of their movement is influenced by the unevenness of solar radiation and its absorption by various parts of the underlying surface and atmosphere, the rotation of the Earth, the thermal and dynamic interaction of the atmosphere with the underlying surface, including interaction with the ocean. The main cause of atmospheric movements is the heterogeneity of heating of different parts of the Earth's surface and atmosphere. The rise of warm air and the fall of cold air on the rotating Earth is accompanied by the formation of circulation systems of various scales. The set of large-scale atmospheric movements is called the general circulation of the atmosphere. The atmosphere receives heat by absorbing solar radiation due to condensation of water vapor and due to heat exchange with the underlying surface. The entry of latent heat into the atmosphere depends on the rise of moist air. Thus, the tropical zone of the Pacific Ocean is a powerful source of heat and moisture for the atmosphere. Significant heat transfer from the ocean surface occurs in winter where cold air masses enter areas of warm sea currents. One of the largest-scale links in the general circulation of the atmosphere is the circumpolar vortex. Its formation is due to the presence of pockets of cold in the polar region, and pockets of heat in the tropical zone. The circumpolar movement and its manifestation, the westerly transport, represent a stable and characteristic feature of the general atmospheric circulation. In the 1930s, studies of the general circulation of the atmosphere began. All synoptic processes (SP) were divided into elementary ones (ESP), then they were reduced to three forms of circulation: western (W), eastern (E) and meridional (C). Processes of the western form (W) are characterized by the development of zonal circulation components and the rapid displacement of pressure formations from west to east. With the development of meridional forms of circulation, when stationary waves of large amplitude are formed, processes of forms E and C are observed. The distribution of air currents on the globe is closely related to the distribution of pressure, temperature and the nature of cyclonic activity, therefore there must be a certain zonality in the distribution of wind on Earth. However, the actual wind directions in winter and summer differ from the winds assumed by the zonal scheme. Winds in the equatorial zone have the clearest zonality. In the northern hemisphere, winds from the northeast direction predominate in winter and summer, and in the southern hemisphere, winds from the southeast direction, trade winds, predominate. The trade winds appear most clearly over the Pacific Ocean. Above and near the continents, trade winds are disrupted by another system of currents - monsoons, which arise due to cyclonic activity associated with a large temperature difference between sea and land. In winter, the monsoon is directed from the continent to the ocean, and in summer - from the ocean to the continent. A pronounced monsoonal transfer of air masses is observed in the coastal regions of East Asia and, in particular, in Primorye. Air masses move both near the Earth’s surface and at high altitudes from the Earth and not only in the horizontal direction, but also in the vertical. Despite the fact that vertical air speeds are small, they play an important role in vertical air exchange, the formation of clouds and precipitation and other weather phenomena. There are other features in the distribution of vertical movements. Analysis of synoptic maps showed that temperature contrasts between the pole and the equator are unevenly distributed across latitude. There is a relatively narrow zone where a significant part of the atmospheric circulation energy is concentrated. Celebrated here maximum values baric gradients, and, consequently, wind speeds. For such areas, the concept of the high-altitude frontal zone (AFZ) was introduced, and the strong westerly winds associated with it began to be called jet streams or jets. Typically, the wind speed along the jet axis exceeds 30 m/s, the vertical wind speed gradient exceeds 5 m/s per 1 km, and the horizontal speed gradient reaches 10 m/s or more, remaining for about 100 km. The WFZ occupies large geographical areas: its width is 800–1000 km, and its height is 12–15 km with a length of 5–10 thousand km. The VFZ usually includes one or several atmospheric fronts and is the site of the emergence of mobile frontal cyclones and anticyclones moving in the direction of the main (leading) flow. During periods strong development meridional processes, the UFZ seems to “wriggle”, bending around high-altitude ridges from the north and troughs from the south. The general circulation of the atmosphere is a system of large-scale air currents over the globe. This system can be studied using daily synoptic maps, and is also reflected on average long-term maps for the earth's surface and the troposphere. The area of predominance of high or low pressure on average maps indicates the area where the center of atmospheric action (CAA) is located. CDA can be permanent (Azores anticyclone) and seasonal (Siberian anticyclone, Aleutian depression). The study of the characteristics of the general circulation of the atmosphere has made it possible to create methods for weather forecasting for periods of various durations.
The forecast problem...The question of the influence of solar activity on the weather is of practical importance. If this influence is significant, it must be taken into account in meteorological forecasts, the significance of which is important for the planning and organization of a wide variety of events. Nowcasting up to half a day is based on an intensive approach using continuous observations. In this case, observational data of meteorological fields, especially meso-scale fields of clouds and precipitation, obtained from satellite and radar data are analyzed and extrapolated. The numerical (hydrodynamic) weather forecasting method is based on mathematical solution systems complete equations hydrodynamics and obtaining predictive fields of pressure and temperature over certain periods of time. Computing centers in Moscow, Washington, Tokyo, and Reiding (European Forecast Center) use various numerical schemes for the development of large-scale atmospheric processes. The accuracy of numerical forecasts depends on the calculation speed of computer systems, the quantity and quality of information coming from weather stations. The more data, the more accurate the calculation. The synoptic method of making weather forecasts is based on the analysis of weather maps. The essence of this method is a simultaneous review of the state of the atmosphere over a wide area, which makes it possible to determine the nature of the development of atmospheric processes and the most likely further change weather conditions in the area under consideration. This review is carried out using weather maps, on which data from meteorological observations at various altitudes, as well as near the Earth’s surface, are plotted, carried out simultaneously according to a single program at different points on the globe. Based on detailed analysis From these maps, the weather forecaster determines further conditions for the development of atmospheric processes in a certain period of time and calculates the characteristics of meteorological parameters - temperature, wind, cloudiness, precipitation, etc. Statistical forecasting methods make it possible to predict the weather for a certain period based on the past and present state of the atmosphere. future period time, i.e. predict changes in various weather elements in the future. An integrated approach is often chosen - the use of several particular methods for forecasting the same characteristic of the state of the atmosphere at once in order to select the final forecast version. Since the earth's atmosphere is very sensitive to external influences, it becomes impossible to predict the weather over a long period of time by directly calculating the movement of air masses. The calculations showed that initially close (within the hydrodynamic model of the atmosphere) different solutions then quickly diverge and lead to qualitatively different results. In the process of hydrodynamic calculations, the initial errors double within three to five days. And after two to three weeks, further calculations may give uncertain results.
The founder of heliometeorology is considered to be meteorologist A.V. Dyakov (1900–1989), who in 1960–1980 headed the weather station in the village of Temirtau (Gornaya Shoria, foothills of Altai), is considered the founder of heliometeorology, since he predicted the weather in the regions of Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, Altai and Ural based on his observations of sunspots and was even awarded an order for this. Dyakov gave long-term weather forecasts several months in advance, taking into account the activity of the Sun. In his forecasts, he relied on the ideas of K. Flammarion, A.V. Klossovsky (1846–1917) and A.I. Voeikov (1842–1916) about the existence of two atmospheric flows: cold (polar) and warm (equatorial). In addition, he paid great attention to the work of Eleanor Lear, who developed types of seasonal circulation. As a result, Dyakov came to the conclusion that the earth's atmosphere should be considered as an open self-oscillating system, which is influenced by uneven solar radiation.
Igor Tsygankov cites the Dyakov calendar, which records precipitation and grain yields starting in 1892. This calendar has been used for many years. It provides observations of precipitation over more than 100 years. The calendar is applicable for Eastern Siberia and Kazakhstan. All fifth years according to this calendar are dry. The Soviet government also used Dyakov’s forecasts. I. Tsygankov also keeps his own calendar, starting from 1955, which completely coincides with Dyakovo’s: For example, in 1965, the harvest of elite grains in well-groomed fields amounted to only 7 centners per hectare. 1975 – yields are even lower, only 4 quintals.
Biological manifestations of solar activity. Solar activity and biological rhythms.The effects of ionizing and penetrating radiation on living organisms are well known; they are successfully used in medicine for the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Cosmic influences are found on many levels biological structures, starting from the simplest cells up to neurophysiological processes in the human brain. A.L. Chizhevsky came to the conclusion that solar-biosphere connections are a general biological pattern. He introduced the term "heliobiology", created scientific direction space biology, established the relationship between the cyclicity of SA and phenomena in the biosphere, showed the possibility of predicting human behavior and earthly events depending on the rhythms of the external environment. Now these views are being developed by Professor S.E. Shnol at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Here we study external rhythmic variations in environmental factors that can cause synchronization of biorhythms in organisms. If the body does not have time to compensate external influences, then desynchronization occurs, which can lead to functional disorders in the body.
Macroscopic fluctuations and their connection with solar activity of SA.Under the leadership of Shnol, macrofluctuations (MF) were discovered - the unevenness of the occurrence of chemical reactions in physicochemical media. This discovery today has led to a new stage in the development of biology - heliobiology. After the connection with the action of cosmic agents (SA) on MF was discovered, the possibilities of searching for rhythm in physicochemical phenomena expanded.
The essence of the MF can be explained as follows: let in a certain volume aqueous solution the rate of occurrence of a certain chemical reaction is measured. If the rate of this reaction is measured consistently at a rate of once every few minutes, then the rate values can differ significantly from each other, many times exceeding the instrumental error. The number of reacted particles, changing over time, gives a number of discrete values. The transition from one value to another occurs spontaneously and quickly (in a time of less than 0.01 s) and, what is most striking, synchronously in the macrovolume even in two separate, adjacent vessels. Over time, signs of MF were discovered in a wide variety of processes, which led to the conclusion that the distribution of MF in the environment of physicochemical processes is universal.
The first report of a solar flare was published in 1859. Simultaneously and independently of each other, R. Carrington and R. Hodgson visually observed a brilliant point similar to a star in white light against the background of a bright photosphere. Within a few hours, spontaneous short circuits occurred in telegraph wires, observed both in the United States and in Europe, causing a number of fires. In both hemispheres of the Earth, auroras were visible at unusually low latitudes, as far as Rome, Havana and Hawaii. The impact of solar flares on the state of the lower layers of the atmosphere was also noted by G. Wild in 1882
The most important technogenic influences of SA:
1. Cause ionospheric disturbances.
2. Radio communications are disrupted.
3. They are a source of radiation hazard for astronauts and spacecraft equipment.
4. Magnetospheric and ionospheric variations increase electromagnetic radiation at frequencies of 0.001–10 Hz and affect navigation (compasses and radios), cable communications (telex, telephone), power lines, oil and gas pipelines.
Detection of solar-terrestrial connections and the impact of solar radiation on the Earth.Even in the chronicles of ancient observers who recorded ongoing events, there are references to a possible relationship between solar and terrestrial phenomena. Earthly phenomena manifested themselves in the form of grandiose geophysical disasters (droughts, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, auroras visible throughout Europe and even in tropical countries), deadly epidemic diseases And mass starvation(wheat harvest failures or rising prices on the stock exchanges). Based on observations of sunspots, auroras and fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, the Danish astronomer Gorrebov (mid-18th century) was one of the first to suspect the dependence of phenomena observed on Earth on the number of spots on the Sun, i.e. from his activity. Assumption about the corpuscular radiation of the Sun at the end of the 19th century. expressed by the Norwegian K.O. Birkeland. Many, based on the observed or suspected periodicity of various phenomena in the earth’s atmosphere, tried to accurately restore the length of periods and the amplitude of oscillations, and then their cause. Of these phenomena, the best studied is the supposed approximately 35-year periodicity of alternately warm and dry and cold and wet periods, which was first pointed out by Professor E. Brückner.
Back in 1912 M.A. Bogolepov in the book Climate fluctuations and historical life(famine and war) wrote: “the electromagnetic state of the Earth has a direct effect on plant and living life organisms." He analyzed the Russian chronicles, which reflected the most notable events, and came to the conclusion that sudden changes climate are a manifestation of periodic disturbances of all life on the globe with its entire physical and organic world, which all of this is transmitted in one form or another of human life and is expressed by economic and political disasters. In our time, there is no such insane form of famine as described in the chronicles of the distant past, there are no raids of Asian nomads, but bankruptcies, production crises, economic catastrophes have appeared, which, in turn, also greatly influence political life peoples of the whole Earth. It is fruitless to look for periodicity in any one phenomenon of life. Only the totality of all signs of disturbances on the globe can reveal a pattern of phenomena: the era of greatest disturbances repeats three times a century, namely: most of the 3rd decade and the first half of the 4th, from the beginning of the 7th decade to half of the 8th, all 90 years and the beginning of the new century.
Douglas examined the growth rings on the stumps of the Sequoia gigantea tree. Since one specimen of these thousand-year-old giants was about 3200 years old, it turned out to be possible to trace the amount of growth of tree rings over a huge period of time. From these data, Douglas concluded that there are climate fluctuations, the periods of which are multiples of the 11-year cycle of solar activity. They also identified a period of 101 years, possibly corresponding to the secular SA cycle.
Tree growth and number of sunspots, based on studies of living trees in England, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Austria. The tree growth curve has large maxima near the sunspot maxima, as well as weaker secondary maxima approximately midway between them. Both maxima within the same 11-year cycle correspond to the course of the total precipitation curves, which differ in the same periodicity (Douglas).
Application of statistics for the analysis of solar-terrestrial connections.Spectral analysis of time series is the most important method for studying the properties of various physical, biological, meteorological and other processes in nature, for which there are quantitative characteristics at certain points in time. Its purpose is to separate time series into different frequency components. To do this, the observed data series is expanded into a Fourier series. The resulting dependence of the amplitudes of Fourier harmonics on frequency is called the spectrum of the series (process), and the dependence of the square of the amplitudes is called the power spectrum. Analysis of this dependence allows us to identify the most important periodic patterns of the phenomenon under study, make comparisons with other processes and evaluate the corresponding correlations.
Analysis of variations in terrestrial processes and manifestations of solar activity, as well as comparison of them with each other, show that solar activity and the resulting disturbances in the interplanetary environment manifest themselves in all shells of the Earth, including the magnetosphere, all layers of the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and even technosphere.
Edward Kononovich
Observe solar activity in real time: photos of the photosphere, magnetic field, transition layer, solar corona and solar wind, influence on the Earth.
SOHO Data
SDO/HMI data
LASCO coronagraph data
SOHO Data
EIT will provide large-scale images of the corona and transition region on the solar disk up to 1.5 solar radii. The optical system concentrates on spectral emission lines from Fe IX (171 Å), Fe XII (195 Å), Fe XV (284 Å) and He II (304 Å) to provide sensitive temperature analysis. Range: 6 × 10 4 K to 3 × 10 6 K
Image SOHO EIT 171 Image SOHO EIT 195 Image SOHO EIT 284 Image SOHO EIT 304The telescope's field of view is 45 x 45 arcminutes and 2.6 arcseconds, which guarantees 5x spatial resolution. EIT intends to probe the coronal plasma globally, as well as the cool, turbulent atmospheric layer below. The data will form the basis for ground surveys.
SDO/HMI data
Solar Oscillation Investigation (SOI) uses the Doppler Shift Meter (MDI) to study the interior of the Sun by capturing photospheric stellar wobble events. Mode analysis displays the static and dynamic characteristics of the convection region and core. If we understand the properties, we will better understand the solar magnetic field and surface activity.
Image SDO/HMI ContinuumThe instrument images the stars on a 10242 CCD camera through a string of narrow spectral filters. The final elements (a pair of interferometers) help MDI produce filtergrams with a 94 mA FWHM bandwidth. Every minute, 20 frames are recorded at 5 wavelengths in the Ni I 6768 spectral line. The device determines the intensity and speed of the continuum with a resolution of 4’’ across the entire disk.
SDO/HMI Magnetogram ImageTo ensure a constant view of the longest-lasting modes (displaying the internal solar structure), a set of spatial averages is carefully calculated. MDI spends half its time processing all downstream speeds and intensities of the image. High Speed Telemetry (HRT) is available every year for 8 hours a day. During the 8-hour intervals, the HRT will be programmed to make other observations, such as higher resolution field calculations. Polarizers are inserted several times a day to change the line of sight of the magnetic field. MDI operations will be scheduled in advance and activated during daily 8-hour windows. Incoming data will be processed immediately. The data will go to the SOI Support Center (Stanford), where 3 terabytes of calibrated data are reviewed each year. Then the information will be posted for joint study.
LASCO coronagraph data
LASCO (wide-angle spectrometric coronagraph) was used by the SWPC office to analyze solar heating and transient events, including flares, corona and stellar wind. The resulting images are of great importance for the WSA-Enlil model, which began operating in 2011. It is the primary tool for predicting coronal mass release and the impact of solar wind on our planet.
Picture of LASCO C2 Picture of LASCO C3LASCO is one of 11 devices spacecraft NASA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory). It was launched in 1995 from the Kennedy Space Center. The instrument is represented by three coronagraphs displaying 1.1-32 solar radii. One radius covers 700,000 km. A coronagraph is a telescope that blocks light from the solar disk, allowing the faint radiation of the corona to be seen. The LASCO coronagraphs are part of the SOHO instrument suite, launched in 1995. SWPC used coronagraph images to forecast weather. The WSA-Enlil model is currently in effect.
The solar disk significantly influences planetary processes. After all, this main source life. Therefore, solar activity attracts attention, as it leads to a transformation of the meteorological state of the Earth (pressure drops, water levels and temperature jumps) and human mental health. And watching magnetic storms online in real time is an unforgettable experience.
