Special issue of SCOSTEP’s 15th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP-15)- Editorial

Abstract

The Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP, https://scostep.org/) runs the program of Predictability of the variable Solar-Terrestrial Coupling (PRESTO) in 2020–2024. The PRESTO program (https://scostep.org/presto/, Daglis et al., 2021) identifies predictability of the variable solar-terrestrial coupling performance metrics through modeling, measurements, and data analysis and to strengthen the communication between scientists and users. SCOSTEP's 15th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP-15) was organized during February 21–25, 2022, via full online format by the host, the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, India. Eminent scientists from solar, magnetospheric, ionospheric, thermospheric and atmospheric physics communities gathered to discuss and deliberate on the cutting-edge sciences pertaining to STP that are being pursued, especially the coupling across disciplines to understand predictability of variable solar-terrestrial coupling. The symposium had three sessions corresponding to the three PRESTO Pillars, i.e., Pillar 1: Sun, interplanetary space and geospace, Pillar 2: Space weather and the Earth's atmosphere, Pillar 3: Solar activity and its influence on the climate of the Earth System. The symposium also covered overarching topics in the Sun-Earth connection, space weather prediction and implementation, modelling, database, data analysis tools, new ground and space-based initiatives for solar-terrestrial physics. A special session on geomagnetism - the connecting link between Sun and Earth was also held. A total of 4 keynote talks, 29 invited papers and 313 contributed papers were presented orally in STP-15, making it the largest among SCOSTEP's STP symposia. This special issue includes the following 24 papers on all these topics of solar-terrestrial physics and PRESTO achievements.