North-south asymmetry in response of geomagnetic activity to different solar events

Abstract

Study of the response of geomagnetic activity to five different kinds of solar events reveals that an average north-south asymmetry of about 15% exists which diminishes with enhanced geomagnetic activity. The response of the geomagnetic field is quite significant only when high speed solar wind stream in association with sector boundary of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) or solar proton streams near sector boundary sweeps past the earth. When the frequency of occurrence of indices of geomagnetic activity is considered, the index zero shows a marked difference in its response characteristics for the southern hemisphere. This appears to be a real feature and not attributable to any artefact of the index or its derivation.