GEOMETRIC FACTOR IN SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF DAILY AVERAGE VALUES OF THE GEOMAGNETIC INDEX Dst

Abstract

The work uses data on the geomagnetic index Dst for the period 1966–2015. Under quiet conditions, the occurrence of seasonal variations of the daily average Dst index depends on geometric factors of the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere; and under disturbed conditions, on the development of a partial ring current in the magnetosphere. At large negative values of the Dst index, there is no seasonal variation in it. The imperfection of the network of Dst stations is assumed to lead to the formation of annual variation in Dst. The formation of a semiannual variation is associated with the movement of the plasma sheet relative to the plane of the geomagnetic equator during the annual rotation of Earth around the Sun. Based on the data on semiannual variations in the number of days n(Dst), the critical daily average value of the geomagnetic index Dst is determined, starting from which we can speak of disturbed days: Dst≤–24 nT.