High-latitude geomagnetic effects of the main phase of the geomagnetic storm of November 24, 2001 with the Northern direction of IMF

Abstract

The high-latitude geomagnetic events that occurred under extreme space weather conditions during the non-typical development of the main phase of the strong magnetic storm of November 24, 2001 were studied. The development of the main phase was or ceased by a sharp turn of the IMF to the north and the appearance of extremely high (up to about 60 nT) positive IMF Bz values; in this period, high alternating IMF By values were observed (from +40 to −40 nT) against a high dynamic pressure of the solar wind, with sharp bursts up to 50–70 nPa. This resulted in the cessation of nighttime substorms. Magnetic disturbances were recorded on the Earth’s surface only in the daytime sector of polar latitudes as a very strong magnetic bay with amplitude of about 2000 nT. According to model calculations, a sharp intensification of field-aligned currents of the NBZ system was noted in that region. The onset of the daytime polar magnetic bay was accompanied by an auroral burst and strong local geomagnetic pulsations in the ∼(2–7) mHz band. Bursts of fluctuations in the solar wind and IMF were not accompanied by simultaneous bursts in ground based high-latitude geomagnetic pulsations, that is, the direct penetration of solar wind and IMF pulsations into the magnetosphere was unlikely to occur. The daytime polar geomagnetic pulsations observed on the Earth’s surface could be caused by variations in high-latitude field-aligned currents, which were excited in a turbulent daytime boundary layer as a result of interaction with solar wind inhomogeneities.