Appendix A

[30]  Unexpected powerful energy releases were observed on the Sun, in the heliosphere and in the magnetosphere on the declining phase of the 23rd solar cycle in 2005-2006. Not all observations of interest were continues and available, some interruptions and gaps in data exist. These new data are under study, but some points can be marked in a preliminary way:

[31]  1. Our belief, that extreme CMEs and flares on the Sun are directly driven by subphotospheric processes, is further confirmed by ground-based and spacecraft observations for the case of the series of 6-12 December 2006 solar events. Colliding sunspots, vertices combined with fast up and down flows at the photospheric level are similar to tornado shape. They were clearly seen in white light images and magnetograms obtained on board the HINODE satellite. Subsequent multiple flares and CMEs were also well documented.

[32]  2. The Moreton wave in a ring shape on 6 December 2006 was clearly seen propagating on the solar globe from the flaring active region. Global dimmings are documented in SOHO/EIT movies on 12 December 2006, as well as on 15 and 19 January. They are encompassing more than 180 degrees on the solar limb.

[33]  3. Events of December 2006 occurred on the east and west sides of the Sun. Correspondingly, slow diffusive and fast direct propagation of MeV protons was registered on spacecraft confirming typical situations of propagation across and along magnetic field spirals in the interplanetary space from the acceleration place at the flare site.

[34]  4. January 2005 flares produced very strong solar energetic proton increases, which resulted in the additional heating and ionization of the upper atmosphere. The magnetic storm was not too big ( Dst 120 nT) because of oscillating and mostly positive B_z in the interplanetary magnetic cloud at the Earth's orbit and had an enormously long development phase duration more than a day.

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