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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
Magnetic reconnection at current sheets or in current-bearing arches in the solar atmosphere is generally accepted as the mechanism responsible for the sudden energy release in solar flares. Attempts have so far been unsuccessful to isolate from the observations some unique preconditions which would be necessary and sufficient to ensure rapid conversion of energy by this process. Here we survey recent multi-wavelength observations which illustrate the variety of preflare activity. Multiple structures are now believed to participate in the energy release. Dynamic global coupling of the magnetic fields between a flaring site and the rest of an activity complex is seen from the data to be an important aspect of preflare activity.