Space Weather Data Documentation

• Data used:

  1. Files:

     ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/GEOMAGNETIC_DATA/INDICES/KP_AP/yyyy.vm

     Contains: BSRN, ND, 3-hourly K_p, 3-hourly A_p, C_p, C₉, ISN, F10.7_Adj, Q

     Updated: Monthly (a little over one month after end of the month)
     Each month a yyyy.vm file is produced, where yyyy is the year and m is the month. When the year is complete, file becomes simply yyyy.

     Note: This data is now being synthesized from three separate data sources, due to NGDC's inability to provide regular updates. The data comes directly from the primary data sources as of 2018 Jan 1.

     Source A:

     ftp://ftp.gfz-potsdam.de/pub/home/obs/kp-ap/wdc/kpyyyy.wdc (BSRN, ND, 3-hourly K_p, 3-hourly A_p, C_p, C₉)

     Source B:

     http://www.sidc.be/silso/DATA/SN_d_tot_V2.0.txt (ISN)
     Previously missing ISN data for 2015-2017 is also being used from this source.

     Source C:

     ftp://ftp.geolab.nrcan.gc.ca/data/solar_flux/daily_flux_values/fluxtable.txt (F10.7_Adj)

  2. Files:

     ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/space-weather/solar-data/solar-features/solar-radio/noontime-flux/penticton/penticton_observed/listings/listing_drao_noontime-flux-observed_daily.txt

     Contains: F10.7_Obs from 1947 Jan 01 until end of previous month

     Updated: Monthly (end of month)

  3. Files:

     ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/indices/quar_DGD.txt

     Contains: 3-hourly K_p for the current quarter to date (previous quarters also available)

     Updated: Every 3 hours

  4. Files:

     ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/indices/quar_DSD.txt

     Contains: Daily F10.7_Obs, ISN for the current quarter to date (previous quarters also available)

     Updated: Daily

  5. Files:

     ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/latest/45DF.txt

     Contains: 45-day forecast of daily A_p and F10.7_Adj

     Updated: Daily

  6. Files:

     ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/weekly/Predict.txt

     Contains: Monthly ISN and F10.7_Adj for approximately two years

     Updated: Monthly

• Data documentation can be found at:

  • Geomagnetic and Solar Activity Indices
    

    ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/GEOMAGNETIC_DATA/INDICES/KP_AP/kp_ap.fmt
    ftp://ftp.gfz-potsdam.de/pub/home/obs/kp-ap/wdc/wdc_fmt.txt
    http://www.sidc.be/silso/infosndtot
    http://www.spaceweather.ca/solarflux/sx-3-en.php

  • Penticton Solar Radio Flux Values
    

    ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/space-weather/solar-data/solar-features/solar-radio/noontime-flux/penticton/documentation/miscellaneous/penticton.txt

  • 2800 MHz Solar Flux
    

    ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/space-weather/solar-data/solar-features/solar-radio/noontime-flux/penticton/documentation/miscellaneous/read.me

  • Users Guide to the Preliminary Report and Forecast of Solar Geophysical Data
    

    ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/weekly/README2

• Process:

  1. Observed data is produced by combining Sources 1 and 2 with Sources 3 and 4 to the current date. Missing F10.7_Adj values are estimated using linear interpolation (Q=4). Missing F10.7_Obs values are estimated using F10.7_Adj, adjusted to Earth orbital radius.

  2. Daily predicted data (A_p and F10.7_Adj) is produced using Source 5. F10.7_Obs values are estimated using F10.7_Adj, adjusted to Earth orbital radius.

  3. Monthly predicted data (F10.7_Adj) is produced using Source 6. F10.7_Obs values are estimated using F10.7_Adj, adjusted to Earth orbital radius.

  4. Monthly fit data (F10.7_Adj) is produced using the fit specified by the MONTHLY_FIT_TYPE keyword. F10.7_Obs values are estimated using F10.7_Adj, adjusted to Earth orbital radius.

  5. Missing values are left blank.

• Keywords:

  • DATATYPE CssiSpaceWeather
    Specifies the data format type for the file.

  • VERSION major.minor
    Provides major and minor version of current data format.

  • UPDATED yyyy Mon dd hh:mm:ss UTC
    Provides UTC date and time of current update.

  • NUM_OBSERVED_POINTS number
    Indicates number of records of data in the Observed Data section.

  • BEGIN OBSERVED
    END OBSERVED
    Marks beginning and end of the Observed Data section.

  • NUM_DAILY_PREDICTED_POINTS number
    Indicates number of records of data in the Daily Predicted Data section.

  • BEGIN DAILY_PREDICTED
    END DAILY_PREDICTED
    Marks beginning and end of the Daily Predicted Data section.

  • NUM_MONTHLY_PREDICTED_POINTS number
    Indicates number of records of data in the Monthly Predicted Data section.

  • BEGIN MONTHLY_PREDICTED
    END MONTHLY_PREDICTED
    Marks beginning and end of the Monthly Predicted Data section. Data is output for the first day of the month.

  • NUM_MONTHLY_FIT_POINTS number
    Indicates number of records of data in the Monthly Predicted Data section.

  • MONTHLY_FIT_TYPE fit
    Specifies polynomial or other fit type used to estimate F10.7_Adj.

  • BEGIN MONTHLY_FIT
    END MONTHLY_FIT
    Marks beginning and end of the Monthly Fit Data section. Data is output for the first day of the month.

• Data Format:

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FORMAT(I4,I3,I3,I5,I3,8I3,I4,8I4,I4,F4.1,I2,I4,F6.1,I2,5F6.1)
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Column
  0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001111111111111111111111111111111
  0000000001111111111222222222233333333334444444444555555555566666666667777777777888888888899999999990000000000111111111122222222223
  1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                Adj     Adj   Adj   Obs   Obs   Obs 
  yyyy mm dd BSRN ND Kp Kp Kp Kp Kp Kp Kp Kp Sum Ap  Ap  Ap  Ap  Ap  Ap  Ap  Ap  Avg Cp C9 ISN F10.7 Q Ctr81 Lst81 F10.7 Ctr81 Lst81
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  yyyy mm dd nnnn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn n.n n nnn nnn.n n nnn.n nnn.n nnn.n nnn.n nnn.n
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2000 01 01 2272  7 53 47 40 33 43 30 43 37 327  56  39  27  18  32  15  32  22  30 1.3 6  48 125.6 0 160.5 175.0 129.9 165.6 179.0
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

  Columns	Description
  001-004	Year
  006-007	Month (01-12)
  009-010	Day
  012-015	Bartels Solar Rotation Number. A sequence of 27-day intervals counted continuously from 1832 Feb 8.
  017-018	Number of Day within the Bartels 27-day cycle (01-27).
  020-021	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 0000-0300 UT.
  023-024	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 0300-0600 UT.
  026-027	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 0600-0900 UT.
  029-030	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 0900-1200 UT.
  032-033	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 1200-1500 UT.
  035-036	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 1500-1800 UT.
  038-039	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 1800-2100 UT.
  041-042	Planetary 3-hour Range Index (Kp) for 2100-0000 UT.
  044-046	Sum of the 8 Kp indices for the day expressed to the nearest third of a unit.
  048-050	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 0000-0300 UT.
  052-054	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 0300-0600 UT.
  056-058	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 0600-0900 UT.
  060-062	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 0900-1200 UT.
  064-066	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 1200-1500 UT.
  068-070	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 1500-1800 UT.
  072-074	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 1800-2100 UT.
  076-078	Planetary Equivalent Amplitude (Ap) for 2100-0000 UT.
  080-082	Arithmetic average of the 8 Ap indices for the day.
  084-086	Cp or Planetary Daily Character Figure. A qualitative estimate of overall level of magnetic activity for the day determined from the sum of the 8 Ap indices. Cp ranges, in steps of one-tenth, from 0 (quiet) to 2.5 (highly disturbed).
  088-088	C9. A conversion of the 0-to-2.5 range of the Cp index to one digit between 0 and 9.
  090-092	International Sunspot Number. Records contain the Zurich number through 1980 Dec 31 and the International Brussels number thereafter.
  094-098	10.7-cm Solar Radio Flux (F10.7) Adjusted to 1 AU. Measured at Ottawa at 1700 UT daily from 1947 Feb 14 until 1991 May 31 and measured at Penticton at 2000 UT from 1991 Jun 01 on. Expressed in units of 10-22 W/m2/Hz.
  100-100	Flux Qualifier. 0 indicates flux required no adjustment; 1 indicates flux required adjustment for burst in progress at time of measurement; 2 indicates a flux approximated by either interpolation or extrapolation; 3 indicates no observation; and 4 indicates CSSI interpolation of missing data.
  102-106	Centered 81-day arithmetic average of F10.7 (adjusted).
  108-112	Last 81-day arithmetic average of F10.7 (adjusted).
  114-118	Observed (unadjusted) value of F10.7.
  120-124	Centered 81-day arithmetic average of F10.7 (observed).
  126-130	Last 81-day arithmetic average of F10.7 (observed).