The solar wind is a stream of charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun. It mostly consists of electrons and protons with energies usually between 10 and 100 keV. The stream of particles varies in temperature and speed over time. These particles can escape the Sun's gravity because of their high kinetic energy and the high temperature of the corona. As the solar wind approaches a planet that has a well-developed magnetic field (such as Earth, Jupiter and Saturn), the particles are deflected by the Lorentz force. This region, known as the magnetosphere, causes the particles to travel around the planet rather than bombarding the atmosphere or surface. The magnetosphere is roughly shaped like a hemisphere on the side facing the Sun, then is drawn out in a long wake on the opposite side.
Earth’s magnetosphere provides protection, without which life as we know it could not survive.
There is a growing body of evidence that changes in the geomagnetic field affect biological systems. Studies indicate that physically stressed human biological systems may respond to fluctuations in the geomagnetic field.
A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a disturbance in space weather. Associated with solar flares and resultant solar coronal mass ejections (CME), a geomagnetic storm is caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field which typically strikes the Earth's magnetic field 3 days after the event. The solar wind pressure on the magnetosphere and the solar wind magnetic field will increase or decrease depending on the Sun's activity. The solar wind pressure changes modify the electric currents in the ionosphere, and the solar wind's magnetic field interacts with the Earth's magnetic field causing the entire structure to evolve. Not all solar flares cause geomagnetic storms, if the sunspot producing the solar flare is not directly facing the Earth the solar flare may only ionize the Earth's upper atmosphere without causing significant disturbances in our geomagnetic field.
Why should we care about Geomagnetic Storms?
àThere is a growing body of evidence that changes in the geomagnetic field affect biological systems. Studies indicate that physically stressed human biological systems may respond to fluctuations in the geomagnetic field
àMany communication systems use the ionosphere to reflect radio signals over long distances. Ionospheric storms can affect radio communication at all latitudes: damage to communications satellites can disrupt non-terrestrial telephone, television, radio, and Internet links.
àThe Stock Market is effected by Geomagnetic Storms: in a study for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
A large body of psychological research has shown that geomagnetic storms have a profound effect on people's mood and people's mood is a key element in judgments and risk perception (i.e. should I buy or should I sell...)
A large body of psychological research has shown that geomagnetic storms have a profound effect on people's mood and people's mood is a key element in judgments and risk perception (i.e. should I buy or should I sell...)
You can read their paper here:
You may also find interesting this old working paper about shortwave radio propagation correlation with planetary positions by J.H Nelson : you can read it here:
My thoughts about the connection between planetary phenomena, our geomagnetic field and the stock market can be found in chapter 2 of : "The Sky Watching Trader"
All living creatures (including traders) stand in an electric field created by the voltage in our ionosphere: if you think for a moment that our nervous system send signals to other cells as electrochemical waves you can easily imagine how we are all sensitive to changes in the Earth's magnetic field.
My thoughts about the connection between planetary phenomena, our geomagnetic field and the stock market can be found in chapter 2 of : "The Sky Watching Trader"
All living creatures (including traders) stand in an electric field created by the voltage in our ionosphere: if you think for a moment that our nervous system send signals to other cells as electrochemical waves you can easily imagine how we are all sensitive to changes in the Earth's magnetic field.
How often in dry, cold, windy days you have experienced tiny electric shocks when you touch metal objects due to your increasing electrostatic charge from the external environment?
Geomagnetic Storms do influence our environment and our body and certain planetary relationships have specific influence on the solar wind and hence on the Earth Geomagnetic Field.
Below you can find real-time (update upon page refresh/ page reload) information about the Earth Geomagnetic Field, as a trader/investor you should learn to read these charts better than companies' financial statements...Astronomy and astrophysics is a science, accounting is not (sometimes it is an outright fraud...ask to Enron investors what they think about accounting).
Latest GOES Solar X-Ray Image
Latest Solar Wind Data
Solar Flares intensity measured according to their x-ray-brightness
Satellite Environment Plot 3 day: 5-min data Proton Flux from GOES-13 Electron Flux and GOES Hp from GOES-13 and GOES-11
Estimated 3-hour Planetary Kp-index
GOES Electron Flux
GOES Magnetometer data
The K-index is a code that is related to the maximum fluctuations of horizontal components observed on a magnetometer relative to a quiet day, during a three-hour interval. The official planetary Kp index is derived by calculating a weighted average of K-indices from a network of geomagnetic observatories.
Kp of 0 to 4 is below storm. The relationship between K and A: the A-index was invented because there was a need to derive some kind of daily average level for geomagnetic activity. Because of the non-linear relationship of the K-scale to magnetometer fluctuations, it is not meaningful to take averages of a set of K indices. What is done instead is to convert each K back into a linear scale called the "equivalent three hourly range" a-index (note the lower case). The daily A index is merely the average of eight "a" indices. The following table illustrates the conversion between K and "a":
Conversion table between K and "a"
Last 30 Days Daily Geomagnetic Data
27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
Weekly Geophysical Data Report
NOAA Space Weather ScalesSolar Cycle Progression displays
*The Geostationary Satellite system, operated by the United States National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research. Spacecraft and ground-based elements of the system work together to provide a continuous stream of environmental data. The National Weather Service (NWS) uses the GOES system for its United States
I thank you the NESDIS (and of course the US tax payers who fund it) for the wealth of data made available to the public: posting for free my charts and update through my blog when I spot some interesting correlation between these data and financial markets data is my way to say thank you. Sharing knowledge make us all better!
