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Interplanetary Origin of Intense, Superintense and Extreme Geomagnetic Storms

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Abstract

We present a review on the interplanetary causes of intense geomagnetic storms (Dst≤−100 nT), that occurred during solar cycle 23 (1997–2005). It was reported that the most common interplanetary structures leading to the development of intense storms were: magnetic clouds, sheath fields, sheath fields followed by a magnetic cloud and corotating interaction regions at the leading fronts of high speed streams. However, the relative importance of each of those driving structures has been shown to vary with the solar cycle phase. Superintense storms (Dst≤−250 nT) have been also studied in more detail for solar cycle 23, confirming initial studies done about their main interplanetary causes. The storms are associated with magnetic clouds and sheath fields following interplanetary shocks, although they frequently involve consecutive and complex ICME structures. Concerning extreme storms (Dst≤−400 nT), due to the poor statistics of their occurrence during the space era, only some indications about their main interplanetary causes are known. For the most extreme events, we review the Carrington event and also discuss the distribution of historical and space era extreme events in the context of the sunspot and Gleissberg solar activity cycles, highlighting a discussion about the eventual occurrence of more Carrington-type storms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Space Research, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil

    Walter D. Gonzalez, Ezequiel Echer, Alicia L. Clúa de Gonzalez & Alisson Dal Lago

  2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Bruce T. Tsurutani

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  1. Walter D. Gonzalez
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  2. Ezequiel Echer
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  3. Bruce T. Tsurutani
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  4. Alicia L. Clúa de Gonzalez
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Correspondence to Walter D. Gonzalez.

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Gonzalez, W.D., Echer, E., Tsurutani, B.T. et al. Interplanetary Origin of Intense, Superintense and Extreme Geomagnetic Storms. Space Sci Rev 158, 69–89 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-010-9715-2

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