  The magnetopause marks the outer edge of the Earth's magnetosphere and a
distinct boundary between solar wind and magnetospheric plasma populations. In
this letter, we use global magnetohydrodynamic simulations to examine the
response of the terrestrial magnetopause to fast-forward interplanetary shocks
of various strengths and compare to theoretical predictions. The theory and
simulations indicate the magnetopause response can be characterised by three
distinct phases; an initial acceleration as inertial forces are overcome, a
rapid compressive phase comprising the majority of the distance travelled, and
large-scale damped oscillations with amplitudes of the order of an Earth
radius. The two approaches agree in predicting subsolar magnetopause
oscillations with frequencies 2-13 mHz but the simulations notably predict
larger amplitudes and weaker damping rates. This phenomenon is of high
relevance to space weather forecasting and provides a possible explanation for
magnetopause oscillations observed following the large interplanetary shocks of
August 1972 and March 1991.
