Geoeffectiveness of interplanetary shocks, magnetic clouds, sector boundary crossings and their combined occurrence

The aim of this work is to study the geoeffectiveness of interplanetary shock waves, magnetic clouds, heliospheric current sheet sector boundary crossings, and the combinations of these interplanetary structures. Both single and compound structures have their geoeffectiveness evaluated, considering the percentage of moderate and intense magnetic storms (Dst less than or equal to -50 nT) that followed each event. With this criteria, it was found that, on average, around 57% of the interplanetary shocks, 26% of the sector boundary crossings, 77% of the magnetic clouds, 80% of magnetic clouds at sector boundaries, 60% of interplanetary shocks at sector boundaries, 81% of magnetic clouds driving shocks, 83% of magnetic clouds compressed by high speed streams, and 100% of magnetic clouds driving shocks and located at sector boundaries are geoeffective. Thus, compound interplanetary magnetic structures were found to be more geoeffective than single interplanetary magnetic structures.