Solar Indices Database

Metadata from the NOAA Metadata Manager's Repository (NMMR)

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:National Geophysical Data Center (comp)

Publication_Date:2004

Title:

Solar Indices Database

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:tabular digital data

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place:Boulder, CO

Publisher:National Geophysical Data Center

Online_Linkage:http://spidr.ngdc.noaa.gov

Description:

Abstract:

The National Geophysical Data Center maintains an active database of solar activity indices to further the understanding of Earth magnetism and the Sun-Earth environment. The sun emits radio energy with a slowly varying intensity. This radio flux, which originates from atmospheric layers high in the sun's chromosphere and low in its corona, changes gradually from day-to-day, in response to the number of spot groups on the disk. Radio intensity levels consist of emission from three sources: from the undisturbed solar surface, from developing active regions, and from short-lived enhancements above the daily level. Solar flux density at 2800 megaHertz has been recorded routinely by radio telescope near Ottawa since February 14, 1947. Each day, levels are determined at local noon (1700 GMT) and then corrected to within a few percent for factors such as antenna gain, atmospheric absorption, bursts in progress, and background sky temperature. Beginning in June 1991, the solar flux density measurement source is Penticton, B.C., Canada. The relative sunspot number is an index of the activity of the entire visible disk of the Sun. It is determined each day without reference to preceding days. Each isolated cluster of sunspots is termed a sunspot group, and it may consist of one or a large number of distinct spots whose size can range from 10 or more square degrees of the solar surface down to the limit of resolution (e.g., 1/25 square degree). The relative sunspot number is defined as R = K (10g + s), where g is the number of sunspot groups and s is the total number of distinct spots. The scale factor K (usually less than unity) depends on the observer and is intended to effect the conversion to the scale originated by Wolf. The data contain fluxes from the entire solar disk at a frequency of 2800 megaHertz in units of 10 to the -22 Joules/second/square meter/Hertz. Each number has been multiplied by 10 to suppress the decimal point. Three sets of fluxes - the observed, the adjusted, and the absolute - are summarized. Of the three, the observed numbers are the least refined, since they contain fluctuations as large as 7% that arise from the changing sun-earth distance. In contrast, adjusted fluxes have this variation removed; the numbers in these tables equal the energy flux received by a detector located at the mean distance between sun and earth. Finally, the absolute levels carry the error reduction one step further; here each adjusted value is multiplied by 0.90 to compensate for uncertainties in antenna gain and in waves reflected from the ground. Group Sunspot Numbers (Rg) were derived to provide a homogeneous record of solar activity from 1610 to 1995. Care was taken that the long-term changes are more self-consistent than are the changes using the Wolf Sunspot Numbers. Daily standard deviations of the Group Sunspot Numbers for 1610 to 1995 represent the random errors in the daily means.

Purpose:

Provide information for research and surveyors

Supplemental_Information:

Formally FE 17, 119, 626. Entry_ID G01152

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date:19470101

Ending_Date:Present

Currentness_Reference:

Publication Date

Status:

Progress:In Work

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:Monthly

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate:-180.000000

East_Bounding_Coordinate:180.000000

North_Bounding_Coordinate:90.000000

South_Bounding_Coordinate:-90.000000

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:GCMD Earth Science Services Keywords

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Analysis And Visualization > Visualization/Image Processing

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Archiving

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Cataloging

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Compression

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Delivery

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Interoperability > Data Reformatting

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Interoperability

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Mining

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Data Search And Retrieval

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Media Transfer/Data Rescue

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Subsetting/Supersetting

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Data Handling > Transformation/Conversion

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Environmental Advisories > Space Weather Advisories

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Environmental Advisories > Space Weather Advisories > Solar Flares

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Environmental Advisories > Space Weather Advisories > Aurora Forecasts

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Environmental Advisories > Space Weather Advisories > Radio Blackouts

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Environmental Advisories > Space Weather Advisories > Geomagnetic Storm

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Metadata Handling > Data Discovery

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Metadata Handling > Metadata Transformation/Conversion

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > Metadata Handling > Service Discovery

Theme_Keyword:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:GCMD Science Keywords

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE > Sun-earth Interactions > Solar Activity > Sunspots

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE > Radiance Or Imagery > Radio Wave > Radio Wave Flux

Theme_Keyword:EARTH SCIENCE > Sun-earth Interactions > Solar Activity > Solar Radio Waves

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:Uncontrolled Keywords

Theme_Keyword:Relative sunspot number

Theme_Keyword:Group sunspot number

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:GCMD Location Keywords

Place_Keyword:Global

Place_Keyword:Magnetosphere (other)

Place_Keyword:Chromosphere

Place_Keyword:Corona

Place_Keyword:Photosphere

Access_Constraints:No Constraints

Use_Constraints:

None

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Contact_Person:Eric A. Kihn

Contact_Address:

Address_Type:Mailing and Physical Address

Address:

NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC E/GC1 325 Broadway

City:Boulder

State_or_Province:CO

Postal_Code:80305-3328

Country:USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone:(303) 497-6137

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:(303) 497-6513

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:Eric.A.Kihn@noaa.gov

Hours_of_Service:7:30 - 5:00 Mountain

Contact Instructions:

Contact Data Center

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Completeness_Report:

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Process_Date:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Contact_Person:Eric A. Kihn

Contact_Address:

Address_Type:Mailing and Physical Address

Address:

NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC E/GC1 325 Broadway

City:Boulder

State_or_Province:CO

Postal_Code:80305-3328

Country:USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone:(303) 497-6349

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:(303) 497-6513

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:Eric.A.Kihn@noaa.gov

Hours_of_Service:7:30 - 5:00 Mountain

Contact Instructions:

Contact Data Center

Resource_Description:SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS

Distribution_Liability:

While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name:ASCII

File_Decompression_Technique:ZIP archive

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:http://spidr.ngdc.noaa.gov

Network_Resource_Name:http://clust1.wdcb.ru/spidr

Fees:Free of charge

Custom_Order_Process:

Contact Data Center

Technical_Prerequisites:

Contact Data Center

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date:20040610

Metadata_Review_Date:20040610

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Contact_Person:Eric A. Kihn

Contact_Address:

Address_Type:Mailing and Physical Address

Address:

NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC E/GC1 325 Broadway

City:Boulder

State_or_Province:CO

Postal_Code:80305-3328

Country:USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone:(303) 497-6349

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:(303) 497-6513

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:EricA.Kihn@noaa.gov

Hours_of_Service:7:30 - 5:00 Mountain

Contact Instructions:

Contact Data Center

Metadata_Standard_Name:Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version:FGDC-STD-001-1998