Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The recovery phase of geomagnetic storms poses a significant challenge for accurate space weather forecasting. Traditional models based on a constant decay rate fail to capture its prolonged and variable duration, leading to uncertainties in predicting impacts on technological systems. Here, we use the high‐resolution SuperMAG index and a stochastic Langevin approach to reveal the intrinsic multi‐timescale nature of the recovery phase. We demonstrate that the decay timescale is not constant but is a function of the storm's instantaneous intensity, a feature that cannot be captured by standard empirical models. From this dependence, we derive a novel evolution equation for the ring current that accurately describes the recovery as a scale‐free power‐law decay. This data‐driven model provides a significant improvement in reproducing the observed recovery profiles over previous formulations and represents a crucial step toward developing more physics‐based and reliable forecasts for the conclusion of geomagnetic storms, with direct benefits for operational space weather services.
Source: Space Weather
DOI: 10.1029/2026sw005240
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
OpenAlex ID: W7224285973