For my amateur radio and SWL friends around the world: At 1745 UTC yesterday September 10, 2014 a huge X1.6 class solar flare erupted from sunspot group # AR-2158. It released a geoeffective (earth directed) full halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that will likely reach earth on or around September 12, 2014. The CME (containing mostly electrons but also some protons) will create visible aurora possibly as far south as mid latitudes, as well as severe to extreme geomagnetic storming (Kp-8 to 9). The storming will lower the maximum usable frequency (MUF) to below the 10 and 12 meter bands preventing F layer communications on these bands for a day or so. Also released by the X1.6 class solar flare were very energetic protons >10 MeV (10+o) which have already arrived at earth and are causing over ionization of the ionospheric D layer and absorption (polar cap absorption) of MF and HF RF signals on dayside high latitude radio wave propagation paths on the lower HF bands such as 60, 40 and 30 meters. With time the energetic protons will more than likely spiral down earths magnetic field lines to mid latitudes and create further D layer absorption of MF and HF RF signals there. If you would like to learn more about solar, space and geomagnetic weather as well as LF, MF and HF radio wave propagation theory check out my web page W4HMs Medium Frequency Radio Wave Propagation Theory Notes at wcflunatall/propagation5.htm and W4HMs Daily Solar Space & Geomagnetic Weather Data Archive at solarcycle24.org . BTW with recent short term elevation of sunspot numbers as high as 162 and approaching fall/spring season east-west radio wave propagation conditions, 10 meter world wide east-west radio wave propagation paths have been open over the last couple of days. From here in central Florida Ive made quite a number of 5-20 watt JT65A and JT9 digital mode contacts with Europe and Africa in late morning to early afternoon and Oceania, Australia/New Zealand and east Asia in the early to late evening.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 14:22:36 +0000
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