Flare-Associated Events

The subdisciplines in this category provide information on solar and terrestrial phenomena at the time of solar flares. The instruments and types of observations are identical to those providing data in the other categories.

• H-alpha Flares
• Solar Magnetic Fields in Active Regions and Their Short-Term Changes
• Solar Radio Events, Fixed Frequency
• Solar Radio Spectrograms of Events
• Solar X-Ray Observations
• Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances--Ground Based Observations
• Solar Protons and Electrons--Direct Measurements
• Cosmic Ray Ground Level Increases

As in the Solar and Interplanetary Phenomena category, many of the data above have been regularly published since 1955 in Solar-Geophysical Data (SGD). Thus, the most efficient and economical means of satisfying data requests is frequently by means of SGD or extracts copied from it.

A major body of data, not in SGD, is the 35mm H-alpha flare patrol films. During patrol operations images of the sun are usually recorded cinematographically at various intervals depending on solar activity. The intervals can vary from a few seconds to only a few frames each hour. NGDC holds archives for years 1933 through 1990. We expect to archive digital solar imagery in the near future.

Flare-events discipline data on diskette or CD-ROM include solar flares, solar radio bursts, regions of solar activity and sudden ionospheric disturbances. Satellite data available on CD-ROM are X-ray and magnetic field data from the SMS/GOES satellites, and particle data from DMSP, NOAA/TIROS and SMS/GOES satellites. Other data in this discipline are held on paper tabular or graphical displays.

The United States Air Force Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON) supplies us with daily digital solar activity data from Palehua (Hawaii), Ramey (Puerto Rico), Holloman (New Mexico), and Learmonth (Australia). For further information on data availability, formats, and costs, please contact the data center.

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