Over the half century since the first finding of the auroral substorm by Akasofu (1964), auroral and magnetospheric substorm has been one of the main topics for the scientists in space physics. Not only giving the spectacular auroral view, substorm contains various fundamental processes of plasma acceleration and dissipation in the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Recent satellite missions of THEMIS and Van Allen Probes as well as several modeling efforts are giving more insights into the relationship between the mid-tail plasma sheet and the inner magnetosphere and the relationship between substorms and storms. Extended ground imager, radar, and magnetometer arrays provide more complex dynamical features of the magnetosphere during subtorms.

During ICS-12 we are going to highlight the most recent results in substorm research. Topical sessions may cover substorm processes in the tail, interaction between the tail and the inner magnetosphere and ionosphere, substorm currents and its dynamics, and the role of substorm in geospace energetics, as well as the role of MHD and kinetic instabilities in substorms. Other substorm-related researches are also welcomed, such as storm-substorm relationship, ULF/ELF/VLF waves, and non-Earth substorm-like features. Ample opportunity will be given for discussions on the new results.