Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The 1859 Solar–Terrestrial Disturbance And the Current Limits of Extreme Space Weather Activity

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is generally appreciated that the September 1859 solar–terrestrial disturbance, the first recognized space weather event, was exceptionally large. How large and how exceptional? To answer these questions, we compiled rank order lists of the various measures of solar-induced disturbance for events from 1859 to the present. The parameters considered included: magnetic crochet amplitude, solar energetic proton fluence (McCracken et al., 2001a), Sun–Earth disturbance transit time, geomagnetic storm intensity, and low-latitude auroral extent. While the 1859 event has close rivals or superiors in each of the above categories of space weather activity, it is the only documented event of the last ∼150 years that appears at or near the top of all of the lists. Taken together, the top-ranking events in each of the disturbance categories comprise a set of benchmarks for extreme space weather activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adem, J.: 1958, Results of the International Geophysical Year in Mexico, Report No. 1, 1479.

  • Allen, J. H.: 1982, in Proceedings of a Workshop on Satellite Drag, NOAA, Boulder, CO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J., Frank, L., Sauer, H., and Reiff, P.: 1989, Eos, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union 70(46), 1479.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, J.: 1937, Terr. Mag. Atmos. Elec. 42, 235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, J.: 1940, Terr. Mag. Atmos. Elec. 45, 339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, J., Heck, N. H., and Johnston, H. F.: 1939, Terr. Mag. Atmos. Elec. 44, 411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Botley, C. M.: 1957, J. Brit. Astron. Assoc. 67, 188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Botley, C. M.: 1959, J. Brit. Astron. Soc. 69, 220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrington, R. C.: 1860, Monthly Notices Royal Astron. Soc. 20, 13.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.: 1957a, Nature 179, 7.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.: 1957b, Bull. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 9, 180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.: 1968, Prog. Math. 2, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S. and Bartels, J.: 1940, Geomagnetism, Oxford University Press, London, Vol. 1, pp. 328, 335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliver, E. W.: 2004, Adv. Space Res., in press.

  • Cliver, E. W. and Crooker, N. U.: 1993, Solar Phys. 145, 347.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Cliver, E. W., Feynman, J., and Garrett, H. B.: 1990a, in R. J. Thompson et al. (eds.), Solar-Terrestrial Predictions, Leura, NOAA, Boulder, CO, Vol. 1, p. 348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliver, E. W., Feynman, J., and Garrett, H. B.: 1990b, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 17, 103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coffey, H. E. (ed.): 1973, Collected Data Reports on August 1972 Solar-Terrestrial Events, 3 vols., World Data Center A, Report UAG-21.

  • Dellinger, J. H.: 1937, Proc. IRE 25, 1253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dryer, M., Eviatar, A., Frolich, A., Jacobs, A., Joseph, J. H., and Weber, E. J.: 1975, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 2001.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • d’Uston, C., Bosqued, J. M., Cambou, F., Temny, V. V., Zastenker, G. N., Vaisberg, O. L., and Eroshenko, E. G.: 1977, Solar Phys. 51, 217.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, W.: 1893, Nature 49, 30.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, M. A., McKenna, S. M. P., and Reid, J. H.: 1961, Dunsink Obs. Pub. 1, 53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feynman, J.: 1980, Geophys. Res. Lett. 7, 971.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Forbush, S. E.: 1946, Phys. Rev. 70, 771.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hale, G. E.: 1931, Astrophys. J. 73, 379.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, R.: 1860, Monthly Notices Royal Astron. 20, 15.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, H. S.: 1955, Royal Greenwich Observatory Sunspot and Geomagnetic Storm Data, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, p. 79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karinen, A. and Mursula, K.: 2004, Ann. Geophysicae (in press).

  • Kimball, D. S.: 1960, A Study of the Aurora of 1859, University of Alaska, UAG-R109.

  • Lanzerotti, L. J.: 1992, Geophys. Res. Lett. 19, 1991.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X., Temerin, M., Tsurutani, B. T., and Alose, S.: 2004, Adv. Space Res. (in press).

  • Loomis, E.: 1859, Am. J. Sci. Arts, 2nd Series, 28, 385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loomis, E.: 1860a, Am. J. Sci. Arts, 2nd Series, 29, 92, 249, 386.

  • Loomis, E.: 1860b, Am. J. Sci. Arts, 2nd Series, 30, 79, 339.

  • Loomis, E.: 1861, Am. J. Sci. Arts, 2nd Series, 32, 71, 318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayaud, P. N.: 1972, J. Geophys. Res. 77, 6870.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Mayaud, P. N.: 1980, Derivation, Meaning, and Use of Geomagnetic Indices, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 1980, p. 76 ff.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCracken, K. G., Dreschhoff, G. A. M., Zeller, E. J., Smart, D. F., and Shea, M. A.: 2001a, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 21,585.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McCracken, K. G., Dreschhoff, G. A. M., Smart, D. F., and Shea, M. A.: 2001b, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 21,599.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, D. H.: 1951, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys. 1, 315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michie Smith, C.: 1910, Monthly Notices Royal Astron. Soc. 70, 23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagata, T.: 1966, J. Geomag. Geoelect. 18, 197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neidig, D. F., Grosser, H., and Hrovat, M.: 1994, Solar Phys. 155, 199.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1941a, Observatory 64, 82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1941b, Observatory 64, 161.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1942, Observatory 64, 260.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1943, Monthly Notices Royal Astron. Soc. 103, 244.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1949, Geophys. Suppl. Monthly Notices Royal Astron. Soc. 5, 200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, H. W.: 1955, in A. Beer (ed.), Vistas in Astronomy, Pergamon, London, Vol. 1, p. 666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, S. B. and Hickox, J. O.: 1946, Pub. Astron. Soc. Pacific 58, 86.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi, R. G., Rao, D. R. K., Alex, S., Pathan, B. M., and Sastry, T. S.: 1997, Ann. Geophysicae 15, 1301.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Richmond, A. D. and Venkateswaran, S. V.: 1971, Radio Sci. 6, 139.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, S. M.: 1995, J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys. 57, 673.

    Article  MATH  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, S. M. and Cliver, E. W.: 2001, J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys. 63, 523.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Siscoe, G. L.: 2004, Adv. Space Res. (in preparation).

  • Skoug, R., Gosling, J., Steinberg, J., McComas, D. J., Smith, C. W., Ness, N. F., and Hu, Q.: 2004, J. Geophys. Res. 109, No. A9, 102 10.1029/2004 JAO010-494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, B.: 1861, Phil. Trans. 151, 423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svalgaard, L., Cliver, E. W., and Ling, A. G.: 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, No. 16, 1029/2001GL014145.

  • Svalgaard, L., Cliver, E., and Le Sager, P.: 2004, Adv. Space Res. 34, 436.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z. and Simon, P.: 1975 (eds.), Catalog of Solar Particle Events, 1955–1969, D. Reidel, Boston, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torreson, O. W., Scott, W. E., and Stanton, H. E.: 1936, J. Geophys. Res. 41, 199.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsurutani, B. T., Gonzalez, W. D., Lakhina, G. S., and Alex, S.: 2003, J. Geophys. Res. 108, No. A7, 1268 10.1029/2002JA009504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaisberg, O. L. and Zastenker, G. N.: 1976, Space Sci. Rev. 19, 687.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vallance, J. A.: 1992, Can. J. Phys. 70, 479.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Willis, D. M., Stevens, P. R., and Crothers, S. R.: 1997, Ann. Geophys. 15, 719.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, MA, 01731-3010, U.S.A.

    E. W. Cliver

  2. Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Honohara 3-13, Toyokawa, Aichi 442, Japan

    L. Svalgaard

Authors
  1. E. W. Cliver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Svalgaard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. W. Cliver.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cliver, E.W., Svalgaard, L. The 1859 Solar–Terrestrial Disturbance And the Current Limits of Extreme Space Weather Activity. Sol Phys 224, 407–422 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-005-4980-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-005-4980-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation