  Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) are the
main drivers of intense geomagnetic storms. We study the distribution of
geomagnetic storms associated with different drivers during solar cycles 23 and
24 (1996-2019). Although the annual occurrence rate of geomagnetic storms in
both cycles tracks the sunspot cycle, the second peak in storm activity lags
the second sunspot peak. SIRs contribute significantly to the second peak in
storm numbers in both cycles, particularly for moderate to
stronger-than-moderate storms. We note semiannual peaks in storm numbers much
closer to equinoxes for moderate storms, and slightly shifted from equinoxes
for intense and stronger-than-intense storms. We note a significant fraction of
multiple-peak storms in both cycles due to isolated ICMEs/SIRs, while
single-peak storms from multiple interacting drivers, suggesting a complex
relationship between storm steps and their drivers. Our study focuses on
investigating the recovery phases of geomagnetic storms and examining their
dependencies on various storm parameters. Multiple-peak storms in both cycles
have recovery phase duration strongly influenced by slow and fast decay phases
with no correlation with the main phase buildup rate and Dst peak. However, the
recovery phase in single-peak storms for both cycles depends to some extent on
the main phase buildup rate and Dst peak, in addition to slow and fast decay
phases. Future research should explore recovery phases of single and
multiple-peak storms incorporating in-situ solar wind observations for a deeper
understanding of storm evolution and decay processes.
