Recurrent Coronal Mass Ejections and Their Geomagnetic Storms Association on 2012 January 19: Solar Surface to Upper Earth’s Atmosphere Analyses

Abstract

In this study, we have conducted an analysis of space weather disruptions that occurred on 19 January 2012. Our analysis identified three coronal mass ejections (CMEs), CME1, CME2, and CME3—which were ejected at 09:48:05 universal time (UT), 14:36:05 UT, and 16:12:06 UT, respectively. Nonrecurrent disturbances in space weather, such as geomagnetic storms, result from CMEs originating from the Sun and traveling toward Earth. We assess the contribution of CME–CME interactions on 2012 January 19 and the volume emission rate of nitric oxide (NO) near the Earth's upper atmosphere in prolonging the geomagnetic disturbances observed on 2012 January 23. The findings suggest an increase in intensity at the interacting boundaries of CME1 and CME2, indicating an increase in pressure and density, leading to the compression of the magnetosphere. The 3D reconstructions of the CMEs provide evidence of unequal expansion and rotations within coronagraphic frames attributed to structural variability in the background solar wind during the eruptions. Furthermore, highlights from the in situ observations suggest that the impact of the recurrent CMEs on the geomagnetic disturbance was more pronounced within the auroral region synchronizing with a significant increase in NO volume emission rate on 2012 January 23, near the upper Earth's atmosphere. Our focus is on exploring the interactions between these CMEs to understand their potential contribution to the extended duration of the observed geomagnetic disturbance.