1996 Volume 48 Issue 11 Pages 1341-1379
On February 21, 1994, a large coronal mass ejection (CME) passed by the Earth. In the solar wind, the CME front was noted by very large changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure, flow direction, and magnetic field, as measured by several spacecraft. At the Earth's surface, many ground stations also recorded the passage of this CME, as a storm sudden commencement onset. We examine here several interesting features of the surface magnetic field response to this sudden commencement onset. In particular, we use the magnetometer records to examine the propagation time of the initial impulse along the Earth's surface. We also study in detail the initial amplitude change at several stations, and note the variation in the response as a function of magnetic latitude. In addition, we crudely estimate the relative contributions of the Chapman-Ferraro and the ionospheric current system to the surface response. Also of interest is the polarization and period of Psc oscillations superposed on the main impulse at several stations, including polarization reversals as a function of magnetic latitude. Corresponding ionospheric currents at stations along the 210° MM chain are also computed, and very large and sudden changes in the ionospheric current flow patterns are reported during the initial minutes of the sudden commencement onset. These and other results are interpreted in terms of previous models, paradigms, and statistical results.
