Regularities of the IMF Sector Structure in the Last 170 Years

Abstract

The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) controls magnetospheric currents which cause variations of the ground-based magnetic field. Regular magnetic observations made in the 19th century allow us to infer daily IMF polarities back to 1844. The results coincide with satellite data in about 79% days. Moreover, for the most part of the 19th and 20th centuries, proxies obtained from various geomagnetic data (Helsinki, Saint-Petersburg, Potsdam, and Ekaterinburg) show the same patterns. This suggests that the relia…