Auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) observations by Polar and Geotail are compared with the auroral electrojet index for the January 1997 magnetic cloud event. These two-spacecraft measurements are complementary in covering the AKR emission cones throughout the event and, together, reasonably represent the auroral electrojet AE index. We point out, however, limitations of both the AKR index and the AE index in providing truly global measurements of substorm activity. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union