Topband: Three day forecast of the Planetary Kp Index now available online

[donovanf at erols.com]

Daily variability of HF propagation is caused in large part by solar energetic particle radiation carried by the solar wind, especially during the four years closest to solar minimum when x-ray and proton radiation from solar flares are less frequent and less intense. 

The three-hourly Planetary Kp Index uses geomagnetic measurements from 13 observatories at mid-latitudes to indirectly measure solar energetic particle radiation. The Planetary Kp Index is a proxy measurement of the energy input from the solar wind to Earth, similar to the use of the 2800 MHz Solar Flux Index as a proxy for the Sun's ionizing ultraviolet radiation. 


A three day -- updated every three hours -- forecast of the Planetary Kp Index is now available from the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. 


spaceweather.gfz-potsdam.de/fileadmin/ruggero/Kp_forecast/forecast_figures/KP_FORECAST_CURRENT.png 


73 
Frank 
W3LPL