:Product: 20000918RSGA.txt :Issued: 2000 Sep 18 2200 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Environment Center and the U.S. Air Force. # JOINT USAF/NOAA REPORT OF SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY SDF NUMBER 262 ISSUED AT 2200Z ON 18 SEP 2000 IA. ANALYSIS OF SOLAR ACTIVE REGIONS AND ACTIVITY FROM 17/2100Z TO 18/2100Z: SOLAR ACTIVITY WAS LOW. A NUMBER OF C-CLASS SUBFLARES OCCURRED IN REGIONS 9165 (N14W40), 9166 (S14E24), AND 9167 (N12E57). DECAY IN REGION 9165 HAS SLOWED AND THE AREA RETAINS SOME MAGNETIC COMPLEXITY. REGION 9166 CONTINUES TO GROW SLOWLY AND IS PRESENTLY AN E-TYPE SUNSPOT GROUP WITH SOME MIXED POLARITIES. NEW REGION 9169 (N08E70) IS A LARGE SUNSPOT GROUP ROTATING AROUND THE EAST LIMB, AND IS ABUTTED TO THE SOUTHEAST OF REGION 9167. SO FAR IT HAS NOT PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT FLARES BUT IT APPEARS TO BE A CAPABLE REGION; HOWEVER, ITS LIMB PROXIMITY MAKES ANALYSIS DIFFICULT. IB. SOLAR ACTIVITY FORECAST: SOLAR ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BE LOW TO MODERATE. FLARE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED FROM REGIONS 9165, 9166, 9167, AND 9169. IIA. GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY SUMMARY 17/2100Z TO 18/2100Z: THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD RANGED FROM ACTIVE TO MAJOR STORM LEVELS AT MIDDLE LATITUDES AND ACTIVE TO SEVERE STORM LEVELS AT HIGH LATITUDES. THE MOST DISTURBED PERIOD OCCURRED FROM 17/2100 UTC TO 18/0300 UTC. THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD APPEARS TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A HIGH-SPEED CORONAL HOLE STREAM, PUNCTUATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF CME MATERIAL. THE MOST DISTURBED PERIOD WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A CME. IIB. GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY FORECAST: THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD IS EXPECTED TO BE AT ACTIVE TO STORM LEVELS. THE HIGH-SPEED STREAM IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST AND ANOTHER CME IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE EITHER LATE ON SEP 18 OR EARLY ON SEP 19. III. EVENT PROBABILITIES 19 SEP-21 SEP CLASS M 50/50/50 CLASS X 05/05/05 PROTON 05/05/05 PCAF GREEN IV. PENTICTON 10.7 CM FLUX OBSERVED 18 SEP 204 PREDICTED 19 SEP-21 SEP 210/215/220 90 DAY MEAN 18 SEP 177 V. GEOMAGNETIC A INDICES OBSERVED AFR/AP 17 SEP 032/040 ESTIMATED AFR/AP 18 SEP 035/045 PREDICTED AFR/AP 19 SEP-21 SEP 040/055-030/040-020/020 VI. GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY PROBABILITIES 19 SEP-21 SEP A. MIDDLE LATITUDES ACTIVE 10/15/30 MINOR STORM 30/30/15 MAJOR-SEVERE STORM 60/50/35 B. HIGH LATITUDES ACTIVE 10/15/30 MINOR STORM 30/30/15 MAJOR-SEVERE STORM 60/50/35 COMMENTS EFFECTIVE 2 OCT 2000, SEC WILL ISSUE ITS TEXT PRODUCTS IN MIXED CASE VS. ALL UPPER CASE. THIS CHANGE WILL BE VISIBLE ON ALL SEC PRODUCT DELIVERY SYSTEMS EXCEPT FOR TELETYPE CIRCUITS. ONLY THE CASE OF THE TEXT IN EACH PRODUCT WILL CHANGE, NOT THE FORMAT OR SPACING WITHIN THE PRODUCT. FOR DETAILS SEE OUR WEB SITE AT SEC.NOAA.GOV/MIXEDCASE.HTML