Characteristics of counter-Sq SFE (SFE*) at the dip equator CPMN stations

The solar flare effect (SFE) at dip equatorial latitudes sometimes shows the counter-S-q variation around local noon. In this paper, we refer to this type of SFE as SFE*. Observations obtained by the Circum-pan Pacific Magnetometer Network (CPMN) reveal some previously unknown characteristics of SFE*. Some of these features are the following: (1) the counter-S-q SFE variation is observed in limited longitude (local time) and latitude sectors (i.e., LT approximate to 1030-1300, vertical bar DipLat.vertical bar less than or similar to 1.5 degrees), (2) outside this limited region, the amplitude of SFE(H) and preflare S-q(H) have a linear relationship, and (3) SFE* is observed during the significant depression of the horizontal magnetic field at dip equatorial latitudes, which indicates the presence of westward electric fields whose origin remains to be understood.