Abstract. We examined solar activity with a large series of geomagnetic data from 1868 to 2009. We have revisited the geomagnetic activity classification scheme of Legrand and Simon (1989) and improve their scheme by lowering the minimum Aa index value for shock and recurrent activity from 40 to 20 nT. This improved scheme allows us to clearly classify about 80 % of the geomagnetic activity in this time period instead of only 60 % for the previous Legrand and Simon classification.

On the basis of more than 48 years of morphological analysis of yearly and monthly values of the sunspot number, the aa index, the solar wind speed and interplanetary magnetic field, we point out the particularities of geomagnetic activity during the period 1996–2009. We especially investigate the last cycle 23 and the long minimum which followed it. During this period, the lowest values of the yearly averaged IMF (3 nT) and yearly averaged solar wind speed (364 km/s) are recorded in 1996, and 2009 respectively. The year 2003 shows itself particular by recording the highest value of the averaged solar wind (568 km/s), associated to the highest value of the yearly averaged aa index (37 nT). We also find that observations during the year 2003 seem to be related to several coronal holes which are known to generate high-speed wind stream. From the long time (more than one century) study of solar variability, the present period is similar to the beginning of twentieth century. We especially present the morphological features of solar cycle 23 which is followed by a deep solar minimum.

This paper presents solar wind data from the last five solar cycles. We review solar wind parameters over the four solar minima and five maxima for which spacecraft data are available and show the recovery from the last very weak minimum to the current solar maximum. The solar wind magnetic field, speed, and density have remained anomalously low in this time period. However, the distributions of these parameters about the (lower than normal) average are similar to those from previous solar minima and maxima. This result suggests that the acceleration mechanism for the recent weak solar wind is probably not significantly different from earlier solar cycles. The He++/H+ ratio variation with solar cycle continues to be a function of speed, but the most recent solar minimum has significantly lower ratios than in the previous solar cycle.

No abstract

In this paper we investigate the fluctuations of solar activity and their links with climatic parameters in West Africa. We achieve our research by investigating several data plotted using averages. Mean to our results we can assume that active solar is associated with weak incident cosmic ray consequently with low cloudiness which brings warming. Likewise, quiet solar is associated with important cloud cover and consequently brings important precipitations and chills terrestrial atmosphere. This implies the necessity to deal with space phenomenon by considering the severe interconnection between solar activity indices for interplanetary and earth environment weather forecasting.

International audienceThe present study investigates solar events through geomagnetic activity and physical processes on the Sun: 1) Quiet activity (QA) related to the slow solar wind, 2) Recurrent activity (RA) related to high and moderate speed solar wind streams from coronal holes, 3) Shock activity (SA) identified by observations of SSCs and 4) Unclear activity (UA) which contains all activity not covered by the first three cases. For recent cycles, we analyze and emphasize some im- portant results: Quiet activity is predominant for cycle 23, comprising 40% of the total activity and over 80% of the activity near solar minimum. Shock and recurrent activity contributions to total geomagnetic activity are largest in cycle 20. The most fluctuating events are observed during cycles 21 and 22. Throughout solar cycle 23, the contribution, from each type of activity, differs from recent solar cycles, with larger percentages of quiet and recurrent activity and less unclear activity. These percentages are similar to those in solar cycles observed in the late 1800s. Since 1963, solar wind data are available. We analyze the distribution of the solar wind velocity for each geomagnetic class of activity and find that: 1) Within each activity type aa does not depend on V, 2) Approximately 80% of the solar wind has V < 450 km/s for QA and 80% of the solar wind has V > 450 km/s for RA, 3) SA and UA both have 60% of the solar wind V > 450 km/s. We found the following conditions for all four solar cycles: 1) For QA 95% of solar wind speeds are in the range 399 ± 69 km/s, 2) For RA 95% of the solar wind speeds range from 582 ± 110 km/s, 3) For SA 95% of the solar wind velocities are order of 482 ± 101.4 km/s, and 4) For UA 95% of solar wind speeds are 480 ± 85.82 km/s. These results confirm the classification scheme that QA reflects slow wind effects, RA effects high wind stream and UA answers to the fluctuations between high wind stream (~60%) and slow wind (~40%). The study shows that high wind stream (~60%) and slow wind (~40%) are both registered for SA

In this paper we report the foF2 data measured at Korhogo station (Lat. 9.3° N; Long. 354.6° E; dip. 0.6° S) compared to predictions with IRI-2012 subroutine URSI and CCIR for different solar cycle phases (minimum, ascending, maximum, descending) and different geomagnetic activity classes (quiet, fluctuating, recurrent, shock). According to our investigations, predictions with IRI are in agreement with the measured data during daytime and show significant differences between them at night-time and especially before sunrise. Except at solar minimum, the gap between predictions and measured data are more appreciable during recurrent and shock conditions compared to quiet and fluctuating conditions. Our results also show that only URSI model expresses the signature of EXB drift phenomenon at solar maximum phase during the recurrent days and at ascending phase for fluctuating activity.

In this paper, we review on diurnal variations of the foF2 ionospheric parameter predicted by the IRI-2012 model, and data from Ouagadougou ionosonde station located in the crest of the Equatorial Anomaly (Lat: 12.5°N; Long: 358.5°E, dip: 1.43°) during fluctuating geomagnetic activity conditions for the solar cycles 21 and 22. Our investigations are focused on the electrodynamic aspects, the influence of the ionospheric electric currents as well as the variations of the hourly values given by model and experimental measurements. A comparative study pointed out that the IRI-2012 model, through its URSI and CCIR subroutines, gives a good prediction of the critical frequency of the F2 layer between 0700 TL and 0000 TL. In addition, IRI -2012 tries to reproduce, as best as possible, the vertical drift E × B during minimum, decreasing phase, winter, and autumn. However, there is no effect of drift during the other seasons and solar cycle phases. A last, the model does not take into account the PRE phenomenon observed in autumn and the influence of the equatorial electrojet in this ionospheric zone.ReferencesAcharya R., Roy B., Sivaraman M.R., 2010. Dasgupta A. An empirical relation of daytime equatorial total electron content with equatorial electrojet in the Indian zone. J Atmos Terr Phys, 72(10), 774–780.Acharya R., Roy B., Sivaraman M.R.; Dasgupta A., 2011. On conformity of the EEJ based Ionospheric model to the Fountain effect and resulting improvements. J Atmos Terr Phys, 73, 779-784.Adeniyi J.O., Oladipo O.A., Radicella S.M., 2005. Variability of fof2 and comparison with iri model for an equatorial station. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, IC/2005/085, http://www.ictp.it/~pub_off.Adeniyi1 J.O., Oladjipo O.A., Radicella S.M., 2005. Variability of foF2 and comparison with IRI model for an equatorial station. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, IC/2005/085.Bilitza D., et al., 2014. The International Reference Ionosphere 2012-a model of international collaborationI.  J. Space Weather Space Clim, 4, A07.Bilitza D., Reinisch B.W., 2008. International Reference Ionosphere 2007: Improvements and new parameters. Adv. Space Res, 42, 599–609.Farley D.T., Bonell E., Fejer B.G., Larsen M.F., 1986. The Prereversal Enhancement of the Zonal Electric Field in the Equatorial Ionosphere. J Geophys Res, 91(A12), 13,723–13,728.Faynot J.M., Villa P., 1979. F region at the magnetic equator. Ann Geophys, 35, 1–9.Fejer B.G., 1981. The equatorial ionospheric electric fields: A review. J Atmos Terr Phys, 43, 377.Fejer B.G., Farley D.T., Woodman R.F., Calderon C., 1979. Dependence of equatorial F region vertical drifts on season and solar cycle. J Geophys Res, 84, 5792.Legrand J.P., Simon P.A., 1989. Solar cycle and geomagnetic activity: A review for geophysicists. Part I. The contributions to geomagnetic activity of shock waves and of the solar wind. Ann. Geophys, 7, 565–578.Obrou K.O., 2008. Contribution à l’amélioration du modèle "International Reference Ionosphere" (IRI) pour l’ionosphère équatoriale. Thèse de doctorat Université de Cocody,  Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.Ouattara F., 2009. Contribution à l’étude des relations entre les deux composantes du champ magnétique solaire et l’Ionosphère Equatoriale. Thèse de Doctorat d’Etat ès Sciences, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal.Ouattara F., 2013. IRI-2007 foF2 Predictions at Ouagadougou Station during Quiet Time Periods from 1985 to 1995. Archives of Physics Research, 4, 12–18.Ouattara F., Amory-Mazaudier C., 2009. Solar–geomagnetic activity and Aa indices toward a Standard.  J. Atmos. Terr. Phys, 71, 1736–1748.Ouattra F., Nanéma, 2014. Quiet Time foF2 Variation at Ouagadougou Station and Comparison with TIEGCM and IRI-2012 Predictions for 1985 and 1990. Physical Science International Journal, 4(6), 892–902.Oyekola  O.S., Fagundes P.R., 2012. Equatorial F2-layer variations: Comparison between F2 peak parameters at Ouagadougou with the IRI-2007 model.  Earth, Planets Space, 64, 553–566.Rishbeth H., 1971. The F-layer dynamo. Planet, Space Sci, 19, 263.Vassal J.A., 1982. The variation of the magnetic field and its relationship with the equatorial electrojet in Senegal Oriental. Annals of Geophysics, Tome French, 38.Zerbo J.L., Amory-Mazaudier C. Ouattara F., Richardson J., 2012. Solar Wind and Geomagnetism, toward a Standard Classification 1868-2009.  Ann Geophys, 30, 421–426. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/angeo-30-421-2012.Zerbo J.L., Amory-Mazaudier C., Ouattara F., 2013. Geomagnetism during solar cycle 23: Characteristics. J. Adv. Res, 4(3), 265–274. Doi:10.1016/j.jare.2013.08.010.Zerbo J.L., Ouattara F., Zoundi C., Gyébré A., 2011. Solar cycle 23 and geomagnetic activity since 1868. Revue CAMES serie A, 12(2), 255–262.