The Mother’s Day Solar Storm of 11 May 2024 and Its Effect on Earth’s Radiation Belts
Viviane Pierrard,
Alexandre Winant,
Edith Botek,
Maximilien Péters de Bonhome
Affiliations
Viviane Pierrard
Solar Wind, Space Physics and Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Alexandre Winant
Solar Wind, Space Physics and Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Edith Botek
Solar Wind, Space Physics and Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Maximilien Péters de Bonhome
Solar Wind, Space Physics and Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
The month of May 2024 was characterized by solar energetic particles events directed towards the Earth, especially the big event causing a strong terrestrial geomagnetic storm during the night from 10 to 11 May 2024, with auroras observed everywhere in Europe. This was the strongest storm for the last 20 years with a Disturbed Storm Time index Dst E>2 MeV have been injected into the inner belt down to McIlwain parameter L = 2.4, violating the impenetrable barrier previously estimated to be located at L = 2.8.
