In this paper we derive the average configuration of the ring current as a function of the state of the magnetosphere as indicated by the Dst index. We sort magnetic field data from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) by spatial location and by the Dst index in order to produce magnetic field maps. From these maps we calculate local current systems by taking the curl of the magnetic field. We find both the westward (outer) and the eastward (inner) components of the ring current. We find that the ring current intensity varies linearly with Dst as expected and that the ring current is asymmetric for all Dst values. The azimuthal peak of the ring current is located in the afternoon sector for quiet conditions and near midnight for disturbed conditions. The ring current also moves closer to the Earth during disturbed conditions. We attempt to recreate the Dst index by integrating the magnetic perturbations caused by the ring current. We find that we need to multiply our computed disturbance by a factor of 1.88 ± 0.27 and add an offset of 3.84 ± 4.33 nT in order to get optimal agreement with Dst. When taking into account a tail current contribution of roughly 25%, this agrees well with our expectation of a factor of 1.3 to 1.5 based on a partially conducting Earth. The offset that we have to add does not agree well with an expected offset of approximately 20 nT based on solar wind pressure.
