Format Documentation of kpyymm.tab Files ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOI and licence of the Kp dataset Data in the kpyymm.tab files is based on the Kp dataset. DOI of the Kp dataset: https://doi.org/10.5880/Kp.0001 Kp dataset described in: Matzka, J., Stolle, C., Yamazaki, Y., Bronkalla, O. and Morschhauser, A., 2021. The geomagnetic Kp index and derived indices of geomagnetic activity. Space Weather, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020SW002641 Kp dataset publication: Matzka, J., Bronkalla, O., Tornow, K., Elger, K. and Stolle, C., 2021. Geomagnetic Kp index. V. 1.0. GFZ Data Services, https://doi.org/10.5880/Kp.0001 Licence of the dataset and plots: CC BY 4.0 Availability The most recent kpyymm.tab (yymm stands for year and month, each expressed with two digits) files are distributed per e-mail half-monthly by Juergen Matzka, mailto:kp_index@gfz-potsdam.de Both recent and past tables (since 1994) are supplied as an archive on the FTP servers Germany: ftp://ftp.gfz-potsdam.de/pub/home/obs/kp-ap/ Denmark: ftp://ftp.space.dtu.dk/WDC/indices/kp-ap/ Further tables (since 1932) and background information on geomagnetic indices and the classification of days can be found on this webpage (and links from there): https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/kp-index/ Email distribution: * half-monthly distribution: days 1 through 15 and days 1 through 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 * monthly distribution: days 1 through 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 Nowcast version, available in near realtime: http://www-app3.gfz-potsdam.de/kp_index/qlyymm.tab Format Description This format is intended to be easily readable for both humans and computer programs and have some resemblance to the regular mail distribution. Since many observatories are interested mainly in the international quietest and most disturbed days, beginning August 1996 three extra lines have been added to the end of the table containing these values in an easy to read form. The extra lines are included in the complete monthly tables only. The geomagnetic indices in the kpyymm.tab files are supplied in the following format. Missing data is represented by blanks. The table begins with the daily lines Column Format Description ====== ====== =========== 1- 2 i2 yy, last two digits of year 3- 4 i2 mm, month (1-12) 5- 6 i2 dd, day of month (1-31) 8-19 4a3 3-hourly Kp indices, first 4 values 21-32 4a3 3-hourly Kp indices, last 4 values 35-38 a4 Daily Kp sum (supplied only for tradition, use Ap for scientific purposes!) 39-42 a4 Most disturbed and quiet days; Q: most quiet days (1-10, 10th quiet day is marked Q0) D: most disturbed days (1-5) A, K: not really quiet day *: not really disturbed day 43-45 i3 Ap index 46-50 f5.2 Cp geomagnetic index. Either one line or four lines follow the daily lines 1. This line contains the monthly mean values for Ap and Cp 1- 2 i2 yy, last two digits of year 3- 4 i2 mm, month (1-12) 5- 6 i2 day is blank, may be read as zero 39-42 a4 "Mean", denotes monthly mean average of Ap and Cp 43-45 i3 Ap index (monthly mean) 46-50 f5.2 Cp geomagnetic index (monthly mean). Lines 2-4 in monthly distribution only 2. Empty line 3. This line contains the ordered most quiet days 1- 2 i2 yy, last two digits of year 3- 4 i2 mm, month (1-12) 5- 6 a2 " Q" 7-46 10a4 most quiet days 1 to 10 (day of month) A, K: not really quiet day 4. This line contains the ordered most disturbed days 1- 2 i2 yy, last two digits of year 3- 4 i2 mm, month (1-12) 5- 6 a2 " D" 7-26 5a4 most disturbed days 1 to 5 (day of month) *: not really disturbed day ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For questions concerning specific data or the contents of this page, please contact: Juergen Matzka, contact details on https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/kp-index/ Last modified: March 15, 2021 Previous modifications: August 24, 2015, September 19, 2020