Three‐dimensional magnetospheric response to variations in the solar wind dynamic pressure

Several thousand magnetic measurements at distances from 3 to 10 RE from the database of Fairfield et al. [1994] have been used for studying the magnetic field response to variations of the hourly‐averaged values of the solar wind dynamic pressure. The response differs from that predicted by the Mead [1964] model. Increase in the dynamic pressure compresses the magnetospheric field in the dayside sector mainly. In the most part of the nightside a depression dominates. The depression is connected with the growth of the cross‐tail current.