NGDC/WDC STP, Boulder-Solar Calcium Plage Data via FTP from NGDC


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SOLAR CALCIUM PLAGE DATA

1.) DATA --
1a.) Mt. Wilson Daily Calcium Plage Areas 1915-1984 (Foukal)
1b.) San Fernando K-line Facular Data 1988-1998 (Daily areas and irradiance indices -- Chapman)
1c.) McMath/Hale/Big Bear daily observations 1942-1987 (positions, areas -- Dodson-Prince)

2.) INDEX -- Daily Summary Data from McMath/Hale/Big Bear 1942-1987
Daily Big Bear Calcium K-line Filtergram Index 1996-1997
Daily Sacramento Peak Calcium Index 1976-2002

3.) SGD Table -- Regions of Solar Activity 1969-1982 -- table that appeared routinely in the monthly report Solar-Geophysical Data -- white light sunspot regions are tied to overlying Calcium plage regions

Solar Calcium Data (All ftp)

For many years, solar observatories have monitored the Sun in the calcium (Ca) K line wavelength by using a filter that allows only this wavelength's light through, calcium filtergrams, or spectroheliograms. Daily full disk calcium K232 images are reduced to provide calcium plage positions and areas or summed to produce a daily Ca K index. Ca K active regions can be seen moving across the solar disk, above the white light sunspot regions, and higher in the solar atmosphere (chromosphere).

1a.) Daily Calcium Plage Areas from Mt. Wilson Observatory 1915-1984 -- Peter Foukal

Descriptive Text
Annual values of the calcium plage area, corrected for foreshortening, in fraction of the solar hemisphere (ASCII) >
Monthly values of the calcium plage area, corrected for foreshortening, in fraction of the solar hemisphere (ASCII)
Daily values of the calcium plage area by year (Format is YYYYMMDD and corrected daily area)
- 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
- 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
- 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
- 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
- 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
- 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
- 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
- 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984

1b.) San Fernando Observatory K-line facular data -- Gary Chapman

Descriptive text
Data for 1988-1998 -- daily areas and irradiance indices, such as the excess spectral irradiance in the K line 393.4 nm (ASCII)

1c.) Daily calcium plage reduced data, including position, areas and intensities. Solar observatories contributing to this database include McMath Solar Observatory (1942-Sep 1979), Hale Observatory (Mt. Wilson Solar Observatory -- Oct 1979-Sep 1981), and Big Bear Solar Observatory (Oct 1981-Oct 1987) NASA SPDS and NOAA ESDIM Data Rescue

Descriptive text
McMath data -- additional information (text)
Calcium plage data format -- print before viewing data files
Calcium plage daily data by year
McMath Solar Observatory
- 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
- 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
- 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
- 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Hale (Mt. Wilson) Solar Observatory -- Hale format
- 1979 1980 1981
Big Bear Solar Observatory -- Big Bear format
- 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

2a. Daily summary data of the McMath/Hale/BigBear database 1942-1987 -- includes YYMMDD, number of plage regions, total corrected plage area, and Calcium plage index for that day.

Calcium plage index -- format -- print before viewing data
- 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
- 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
- 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
- 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
- 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

2b. Big Bear Solar Observatory Calcium K Index

Paper -- A 10-Year Set of CaII K-line Filtergrams
Report -- Analysis of a 10-Year Set of CaII K-line Filtergrams
Report Update -- Analysis of a 10-Year Set of CaII K-line Filtergrams
Calcium images -- access information
Daily Index (12) -- information
- Daily Index by year 1996 1997

2c. Sacramento Peak Solar Observatory Daily Calcium K Index

Short descriptive text
Daily index in year files
- 1976 1977 1978 1979
- 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
- 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
- 2000 2001 2002
- One file, good for plotting All data

3. SGD Table -- Solar-Geophysical Data Regions of Solar Activity Table 1969-1982

Daily white light sunspot regions are tied to the overlying Ca K plage regions each day.
- SGD table format -- print before viewing data
- Table listings in yearly files
  - 1969
  - 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
  - 1980 1981 1982

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