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[2.19] Overview of Space Weather, Space Weather Forecasts, and System Impacts During the High Activity from 19 October through 7 November 2003

C.C. Balch, M.D. Crown, R. Viereck (NOAA Space Environment Center)

A remarkable interval of solar-geophysical activity occurred between 19 October and 7 November, 2003, including 17 major solar flares, six strong interplanetary shocks, six significant injections of energetic particles, and extreme levels of geomagnetic storming on 29 and 30 October. Among the more spectacular events were an ~X28 flare observed by the GOES XRS sensor on 4 November, which may be the highest ever recorded by GOES; a severe energetic particle event on 29 October, with peak fluxes making it the 4th highest observed in records going back to 1976; and an extreme geomagnetic storm which ranks as the 6th highest since 1932 based on the running Ap index. This interval provided unique challenges for space weather forecasting and nowcasting services and numerous system effects were reported. In this presentation we will provide some historical context for this activity, a discussion of the forecasts, warnings, and alerts that were issued, and we will cover some of the operational impacts of these space weather events.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: christopher.balch@noaa.gov

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #2
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