Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs

Abstract The storm‐time geomagnetic field and electric currents are reconstructed for extreme storms before 1995: the July 1982 superstorm and the March 1989 Hydro‐Québec grid collapse event. The reconstructions are based on an improved magnetic field data mining method utilizing recently published...

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Main Authors: G. K. Stephens, M. I. Sitnov, N. A. Tsyganenko, R. S. Weigel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004293
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author G. K. Stephens
M. I. Sitnov
N. A. Tsyganenko
R. S. Weigel
author_facet G. K. Stephens
M. I. Sitnov
N. A. Tsyganenko
R. S. Weigel
author_sort G. K. Stephens
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The storm‐time geomagnetic field and electric currents are reconstructed for extreme storms before 1995: the July 1982 superstorm and the March 1989 Hydro‐Québec grid collapse event. The reconstructions are based on an improved magnetic field data mining method utilizing recently published machine learning‐derived solar wind data. The data mining reconstructions are rescaled using statistics of the nearest neighbor bins to eliminate the bias toward weaker storms. A concurrent reconstruction method provides the combined description of storms and substorms: storm and substorm features are first reconstructed independently for the inner and tail magnetosphere, respectively, and then the data fitting is reiterated using synthetic data generated using the first round of reconstructions. The data fitting procedure is further tuned to better resolve the location of the field‐aligned currents. Testing the updated methods for the November 2003 and 1982 superstorms significantly improves the validation results for in situ observations. The effect of rescaling doubles the peak ring current density (from 81 to 168 nA/m2 for the November 2003 storm) while the tuned fitting procedure shifts the Region‐2 field‐aligned currents equatorward to magnetic latitudes as low as 50°. Rescaling also intensifies the equatorial currents such that X‐line arcs and even an X‐loop are formed within geosynchronous orbit, where reconnection may approach a relativistic regime. Such a change in the field topology limits the peak plasma pressure obtained from the quasi‐static force balance equation.
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spelling doaj-art-6d918dce78294b89afdd347571e295522025-08-20T03:33:41ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902025-06-01236n/an/a10.1029/2024SW004293Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind InputsG. K. Stephens0M. I. Sitnov1N. A. Tsyganenko2R. S. Weigel3Applied Physics Laboratory The Johns Hopkins University Laurel MD USAApplied Physics Laboratory The Johns Hopkins University Laurel MD USASaint‐Petersburg State University Saint‐Petersburg RussiaGeorge Mason University Fairfax VA USAAbstract The storm‐time geomagnetic field and electric currents are reconstructed for extreme storms before 1995: the July 1982 superstorm and the March 1989 Hydro‐Québec grid collapse event. The reconstructions are based on an improved magnetic field data mining method utilizing recently published machine learning‐derived solar wind data. The data mining reconstructions are rescaled using statistics of the nearest neighbor bins to eliminate the bias toward weaker storms. A concurrent reconstruction method provides the combined description of storms and substorms: storm and substorm features are first reconstructed independently for the inner and tail magnetosphere, respectively, and then the data fitting is reiterated using synthetic data generated using the first round of reconstructions. The data fitting procedure is further tuned to better resolve the location of the field‐aligned currents. Testing the updated methods for the November 2003 and 1982 superstorms significantly improves the validation results for in situ observations. The effect of rescaling doubles the peak ring current density (from 81 to 168 nA/m2 for the November 2003 storm) while the tuned fitting procedure shifts the Region‐2 field‐aligned currents equatorward to magnetic latitudes as low as 50°. Rescaling also intensifies the equatorial currents such that X‐line arcs and even an X‐loop are formed within geosynchronous orbit, where reconnection may approach a relativistic regime. Such a change in the field topology limits the peak plasma pressure obtained from the quasi‐static force balance equation.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004293superstormsdata miningpre‐1995 solar wind inputsnearest neighbors methodmagnetospheric fieldsmagnetic reconnection
spellingShingle G. K. Stephens
M. I. Sitnov
N. A. Tsyganenko
R. S. Weigel
Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
Space Weather
superstorms
data mining
pre‐1995 solar wind inputs
nearest neighbors method
magnetospheric fields
magnetic reconnection
title Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
title_full Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
title_fullStr Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
title_full_unstemmed Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
title_short Empirical Reconstruction of Pre‐1995 Extreme Storms Using ML‐Derived Solar Wind Inputs
title_sort empirical reconstruction of pre 1995 extreme storms using ml derived solar wind inputs
topic superstorms
data mining
pre‐1995 solar wind inputs
nearest neighbors method
magnetospheric fields
magnetic reconnection
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004293
work_keys_str_mv AT gkstephens empiricalreconstructionofpre1995extremestormsusingmlderivedsolarwindinputs
AT misitnov empiricalreconstructionofpre1995extremestormsusingmlderivedsolarwindinputs
AT natsyganenko empiricalreconstructionofpre1995extremestormsusingmlderivedsolarwindinputs
AT rsweigel empiricalreconstructionofpre1995extremestormsusingmlderivedsolarwindinputs