Investigation of Dst Variations in X Component at Midlatitudes during Geomagnetic Storm on February 3, 2022

Abstract

The main idea of this study is to investigate the Dst variations in the X component of the Earth’s magnetic field and their latitudinal distribution in the conditions of geomagnetic disturbance on February 3, 2022. For this purpose, data from the world database of geomagnetic observatories INTERMAGNET were used. Three sectors of geomagnetic observatories were selected: (i) Eastern Europe, (ii) Western Europe, (iii) Eastern Asia. The considered stations are located at different latitudes (GLAT) but are close to each other in longitudes (GLON). For each sector, changes in the X component were considered and Sq variations were previously removed, based on data for five quiet days determined by the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. The results allow proposing a methodology for filtering the variations in the X component for the considered geomagnetic observatories resulting from the geomagnetic disturbance. In the concluding part of this work, an analysis of the relationship between variations in the X component and the equatorial ring current represented by Dst is proposed. The obtained linear regression coefficients for each of the sectors show the well-known dependency, expressed in the reduction of the influence of Dst on the changes in the X component as it moves from the equator to higher northern latitudes.