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  • Solar Cycle (includes Sunspots, Solar Wind, Solar Flares, Grand Maxima & Grand Minima)


    Blessed Weather

    Here are the current Papers & Articles under the research topic Solar Cycle (includes Sunspots, Solar Wind, Solar Flares, Grand Maxima  & Grand Minima). Click on the title of a paper you are interested in to go straight to the full paper.

    A lagged response to the 11 year solar cycle in observed winter Atlantic/European weather patterns.
    2013 paper. Abstract:
    The surface response to 11 year solar cycle variations is investigated by analyzing the long‐term mean sea level pressure and sea surface temperature observations for the period 1870–2010. The analysis reveals a statistically significant 11 year solar signal over Europe, and the North Atlantic provided that the data are lagged by a few years. The delayed signal resembles the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) following a solar maximum. The corresponding sea surface temperature response is consistent with this. A similar analysis is performed on long‐term climate simulations from a coupled ocean‐atmosphere version of the Hadley Centre model that has an extended upper lid so that influences of solar variability via the stratosphere are well resolved. The model reproduces the positive NAO signal over the Atlantic/European sector, but the lag of the surface response is not well reproduced. Possible mechanisms for the lagged nature of the observed response are discussed.

    Could a future “Grand Solar Minimum” like the Maunder Minimum stop global warming?
    Abstract:
    A future Maunder Minimum type grand solar minimum, with total solar irradiance reduced by 0.25% over a 50 year period from 2020 to 2070, is imposed in a future climate change scenario experiment (RCP4.5) using, for the first time, a global coupled climate model that includes ozone chemistry and resolved stratospheric dynamics (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model). This model has been shown to simulate two amplifying mechanisms that produce regional signals of decadal climate variability comparable to observations, and thus is considered a credible tool to simulate the Sun's effects on Earth's climate. After the initial decrease of solar radiation in 2020, globally averaged surface air temperature cools relative to the reference simulation by up to several tenths of a degree Centigrade. By the end of the grand solar minimum in 2070, the warming nearly catches up to the reference simulation. Thus, a future grand solar minimum could slow down but not stop global warming.

    Eleven‐year solar cycle signal in the NAO and Atlantic/European blocking
    2016 paper. Abstract:
    The 11‐year solar cycle signal in December–January–February (DJF) averaged mean‐sea‐level pressure (SLP) and Atlantic/European blocking frequency is examined using multilinear regression with indices to represent variability associated with the solar cycle, volcanic eruptions, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Results from a previous 11‐year solar cycle signal study of the period 1870–2010 (140 years; ∼13 solar cycles) that suggested a 3–4 year lagged signal in SLP over the Atlantic are confirmed by analysis of a much longer reconstructed dataset for the period 1660–2010 (350 years; ∼32 solar cycles). Apparent discrepancies between earlier studies are resolved and stem primarily from the lagged nature of the response and differences between early‐ and late‐winter responses. Analysis of the separate winter months provide supporting evidence for two mechanisms of influence, one operating via the atmosphere that maximises in late winter at 0–2 year lags and one via the mixed‐layer ocean that maximises in early winter at 3–4 year lags. Corresponding analysis of DJF‐averaged Atlantic/European blocking frequency shows a highly statistically significant signal at ∼1‐year lag that originates primarily from the late winter response. The 11‐year solar signal in DJF blocking frequency is compared with other known influences from ENSO and the AMO and found to be as large in amplitude and have a larger region of statistical significance.

    On the effect of a new grand minimum of solar activity on the future climate on Earth
    Abstract:
    The current exceptionally long minimum of solar activity has led to the suggestion that the Sun might experience a new grand minimum in the next decades, a prolonged period of low activity similar to the Maunder minimum in the late 17th century. The Maunder minimum is connected to the Little Ice Age, a time of markedly lower temperatures, in particular in the Northern hemisphere. Here we use a coupled climate model to explore the effect of a 21st‐century grand minimum on future global temperatures, finding a moderate temperature offset of no more than −0.3°C in the year 2100 relative to a scenario with solar activity similar to recent decades. This temperature decrease is much smaller than the warming expected from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century.

    Possible impacts of a future grand solar minimum on climate: Stratospheric and global circulation changes
    Abstract:
    It has been suggested that the Sun may evolve into a period of lower activity over the 21st century. This study examines the potential climate impacts of the onset of an extreme “Maunder Minimum‐like” grand solar minimum using a comprehensive global climate model. Over the second half of the 21st century, the scenario assumes a decrease in total solar irradiance of 0.12% compared to a reference Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 experiment. The decrease in solar irradiance cools the stratopause (∼1 hPa) in the annual and global mean by 1.2 K. The impact on global mean near‐surface temperature is small (∼−0.1 K), but larger changes in regional climate occur during the stratospheric dynamically active seasons. In Northern Hemisphere wintertime, there is a weakening of the stratospheric westerly jet by up to ∼3–4 m s−1, with the largest changes occurring in January–February. This is accompanied by a deepening of the Aleutian Low at the surface and an increase in blocking over Northern Europe and the North Pacific. There is also an equatorward shift in the Southern Hemisphere midlatitude eddy‐driven jet in austral spring. The occurrence of an amplified regional response during winter and spring suggests a contribution from a top‐down pathway for solar‐climate coupling; this is tested using an experiment in which ultraviolet (200–320 nm) radiation is decreased in isolation of other changes. The results show that a large decline in solar activity over the 21st century could have important impacts on the stratosphere and regional surface climate.

    Regional climate impacts of a possible future grand solar minimum
    Abstract:
    Any reduction in global mean near-surface temperature due to a future decline in solar activity is likely to be a small fraction of projected anthropogenic warming. However, variability in ultraviolet solar irradiance is linked to modulation of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations, suggesting the potential for larger regional surface climate effects. Here, we explore possible impacts through two experiments designed to bracket uncertainty in ultraviolet irradiance in a scenario in which future solar activity decreases to Maunder Minimum-like conditions by 2050. Both experiments show regional structure in the wintertime response, resembling the North Atlantic Oscillation, with enhanced relative cooling over northern Eurasia and the eastern United States. For a high-end decline in solar ultraviolet irradiance, the impact on winter northern European surface temperatures over the late twenty-first century could be a significant fraction of the difference in climate change between plausible AR5 scenarios of greenhouse gas concentrations.

    Solar and QBO Influences on the Timing of Stratospheric Sudden Warmings
    2004 paper. Abstract:
    The interaction of the 11-yr solar cycle (SC) and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and their influence on the Northern Hemisphere (NH) polar vortex are studied using idealized model experiments and ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). In the model experiments, the sensitivity of the NH polar vortex to imposed easterlies at equatorial/subtropical latitudes over various height ranges is tested to explore the possible influence from zonal wind anomalies associated with the QBO and the 11-yr SC in those regions. The experiments show that the timing of the modeled stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) is sensitive to the imposed easterlies at the equator/subtropics. When easterlies are imposed in the equatorial or subtropical upper stratosphere, the onset of the SSWs is earlier.

    A mechanism is proposed in which zonal wind anomalies in the equatorial/subtropical upper stratosphere associated with the QBO and 11-yr SC either reinforce each other or cancel each other out. When they reinforce, as in Smin–QBO-east (Smin/E) and Smax–QBO-west (Smax/W), it is suggested that the resulting anomaly is large enough to influence the development of the Aleutian high and hence the time of onset of the SSWs. Although highly speculative, this mechanism may help to understand the puzzling observations that major warmings often occur in Smax/W years even though there is no strong waveguide provided by the QBO winds in the lower equatorial stratosphere.

    The ERA-40 data are used to investigate the QBO and solar signals and to determine whether the observations support the proposed mechanism. Composites of ERA-40 zonally averaged zonal winds based on the QBO (E/W), the SC (min/max), and both (Smin/E, Smin/W, Smax/E, Smax/W) are examined, with emphasis on the Northern Hemisphere winter vortex evolution. The major findings are that QBO/E years are more disturbed than QBO/W years, primarily during early winter. Sudden warmings in Smax years tend to occur later than in Smin years. Midwinter warmings are more likely during Smin/E and Smax/W years, although the latter result is only barely statistically significant at the 75% level. The data show some support for the proposed mechanism, but many more years are required before it can be fully tested.

    Solar forcing of winter climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere
    2011 paper. Note that the charts are missing from the above link but available from this link. Abstract:
    An influence of solar irradiance variations on Earth's surface climate has been repeatedly suggested, based on correlations between solar variability and meteorological variables. Specifically, weaker westerly winds have been observed in winters with a less active sun, for example at the minimum phase of the 11-year sunspot cycle. With some possible exceptions, it has proved difficult for climate models to consistently reproduce this signal. Spectral Irradiance Monitor satellite measurements indicate that variations in solar ultraviolet irradiance may be larger than previously thought. Here we drive an ocean-atmosphere climate model with ultraviolet irradiance variations based on these observations. We find that the model responds to the solar minimum with patterns in surface pressure and temperature that resemble the negative phase of the North Atlantic or Arctic Oscillation, of similar magnitude to observations. In our model, the anomalies descend through the depth of the extra-tropical winter atmosphere. If the updated measurements of solar ultraviolet irradiance are correct, low solar activity, as observed during recent years, drives cold winters in northern Europe and the United States, and mild winters over southern Europe and Canada, with little direct change in globally averaged temperature. Given the quasi-regularity of the 11-year solar cycle, our findings may help improve decadal climate predictions for highly populated extratropical regions.

    Sunspots and ENSO relationship using Markov method
    2015 paper. Abstract:
    The various techniques have been used to confer the existence of significant relations between the number of Sunspots and different terrestrial climate parameters such as rainfall, temperature, dewdrops,aerosol and ENSO etc. Improved understanding and modelling of Sunspots variations can explore the information about the related variables. This study uses a Markov chain method to find the relations between monthly Sunspots and ENSO data of two epochs (1996–2009 and 1950–2014). Corresponding transition matrices of both data sets appear similar and it is qualitatively evaluated by high values of2-dimensional correlation found between transition matrices of ENSO and Sunspots. The associated transition diagrams show that each state communicates with the others. Presence of stronger self-communication (between same states) confirms periodic behaviour among the states. Moreover, close-ness found in the expected number of visits from one state to the other show the existence of a possible relation between Sunspots and ENSO data. Moreover, perfect validation of dependency and stationarytests endorses the applicability of the Markov chain analyses on Sunspots and ENSO data. This shows that a significant relation between Sunspots and ENSO data exists. Improved understanding and modelling of Sunspots variations can help to explore the information about the related variables. This study can be useful to explore the influence of ENSO related local climatic variability

    Space Weather: Sunspots, Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections
    2017 article. Introduction:
    Though the sun lies 93 million miles (149 million kilometers) from Earth, its unceasing activity assures an impact on our planet far beyond the obvious light and heat. From a constant stream of particles in the form of solar wind to the unpredictable bombardment from solar flares and coronal mass ejections, Earth often feels the effects of its stellar companions. Less noticeable are the sunspots crossing the solar surface, though they are related to the more violent interactions. All of these fall under the definition of "space weather."

    Sunspots, the QBO and the stratosphere in the North Polar Region – 20 years later
    2005 paper. Abstract:
    We have shown in earlier studies the size of the changes in the lower stratosphere which can be attributed to the11-year sunspot cycle (SSC). We showed further that in order to detect the solar signal it is necessaryt o group the data according to the phase of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO). Although this is valid throughout the year it was always obvious that the effect of the SSC and the QBO on the stratosphere was largest during the northern winters (January/February). Here we extend our first study (Labitzke 1987) by using additional data. Instead of 30 years of data, we now have 65 years. Results for the entire dataset fully confirm the early findings and suggest a significant effect of the SSC on the strenght of the stratospheric polar vortex and the mean meridional circulation.

    The Influence of the Solar Cycle and QBO on the Late-Winter Stratospheric Polar Vortex
    2006 paper. Abstract:
    A statistical analysis of 51 years of NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data is conducted to isolate the separate effects of the 11-yr solar cycle (SC) and the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) on the Northern Hemisphere (NH) stratosphere in late winter (February–March). In a four-group [SC maximum (SC-max)versus minimum (SC-min) and east-phase versus west-phase QBO] linear discriminant analysis, the state ofthe westerly phase QBO (wQBO) during SC-min emerges as a distinct least-perturbed (and coldest) state of the stratospheric polar vortex, statistically well separated from the other perturbed states. Relative to this least-perturbed state, the SC-max and easterly QBO (eQBO) each independently provides perturbation and warming as does the combined perturbation of the SC-max–eQBO. All of these results (except the eQBO perturbation) are significant at the 95% confidence level as confirmed by Monte Carlo tests; the eQBO perturbation is marginally significant at the 90% level. This observational result suggests a concep-tual change in understanding the interaction between solar cycle and QBO influences: while previous result simply a more substantial interaction, even to the extent that the warming due to SC-max is reversed to cooling by the eQBO, results suggest that the SC-max and eQBO separately warm the polar stratosphere from the least-perturbed state. While previous authors emphasize the importance of segregating the data according to the phase of the QBO, here the same polar warming by the solar cycle is found regardless of the phase of the QBO.The polar temperature is positively correlated with the SC, with a statistically significant zonal meanwarming of approximately 4.6in the 10–50-hPa layer in the mean and 7.2from peak to peak. Thismagnitude of the warming in winter is too large to be explainable by UV radiation alone. The evidence seems to suggest that the polar warming in NH late winter during SC-max is due to the occurrence of sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), as noted previously by other authors. This hypothesis is circumstantially substantiated here by the similarity between the meridional pattern and timing of the warming and coolingobserved during the SC-max and the known pattern and timing of SSWs, which has the form of large warming over the pole and small cooling over the mid-latitudes during mid- and late winter. The eQBO is also known to precondition the polar vortex for the onset of SSWs, and it has been pointed out by previous authors that SSWs can occur during eQBO at all stages of the solar cycle. The additional perturbation due to SC-max does not double the frequency of occurrence of SSWs induced by the eQBO. This explains why the SC-max/eQBO years are not statistically warmer than either the SC-max/wQBO or SC minimum/eQBO years. The difference between two perturbed (warm) states (e.g., SC-max/eQBO versus SC-min/eQBO orSC-max/eQBO versus SC-max/wQBO), is small (about 0.3–0.4) and not statistically significant. It is this small difference between perturbed states, both warmer than the least-perturbed state, that in the past has been interpreted either as a reversal of SC-induced warming or as a reversal of QBO-induced warming.

    Transfer of the solar signal from the stratosphere to the troposphere: Northern Winter
    2006 paper. Abstract:
    The atmospheric response to the solar cycle has been previously investigated with the Freie Universität Berlin Climate Middle Atmosphere Model (FUB‐CMAM) using prescribed spectral solar UV and ozone changes as well as prescribed equatorial, QBO‐like winds. The solar signal is transferred from the upper to the lower stratosphere through a modulation of the polar night jet and the Brewer‐Dobson circulation. These model experiments are further investigated here to show the transfer of the solar signal from the lower stratosphere to the troposphere and down to the surface during Northern Hemisphere winter. Analysis focuses on the transition from significant stratospheric effects in October and November to significant tropospheric effects in December and January. The results highlight the importance of stratospheric circulation changes for the troposphere. Together with the poleward‐downward movement of zonal wind anomalies and enhanced equatorward planetary wave propagation, an AO‐like pattern develops in the troposphere in December and January during solar maximum. In the middle of November, one third of eddy‐forced tropospheric mean meridional circulation and surface pressure tendency changes can be attributed to the stratosphere, whereas most of the polar surface pressure tendency changes from the end of November through the middle of December are related to tropospheric mechanical forcing changes. The weakening of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation during solar maximum leads to dynamical heating in the tropical lower stratosphere, inducing circulation changes in the tropical troposphere and down to the surface that are strongest in January. The simulated tropospheric effects are identified as indirect effects from the stratosphere because the sea surface temperatures are identical in the solar maximum and minimum experiment. These results confirm those from other simplified model studies as well as results from observations.

    What influence will future solar activity changes over the 21st century have on projected global near‐surface temperature changes?
    Abstract:
    During the 20th century, solar activity increased in magnitude to a so‐called grand maximum. It is probable that this high level of solar activity is at or near its end. It is of great interest whether any future reduction in solar activity could have a significant impact on climate that could partially offset the projected anthropogenic warming. Observations and reconstructions of solar activity over the last 9000 years are used as a constraint on possible future variations to produce probability distributions of total solar irradiance over the next 100 years. Using this information, with a simple climate model, we present results of the potential implications for future projections of climate on decadal to multidecadal timescales. Using one of the most recent reconstructions of historic total solar irradiance, the likely reduction in the warming by 2100 is found to be between 0.06 and 0.1 K, a very small fraction of the projected anthropogenic warming. However, if past total solar irradiance variations are larger and climate models substantially underestimate the response to solar variations, then there is a potential for a reduction in solar activity to mitigate a small proportion of the future warming, a scenario we cannot totally rule out. While the Sun is not expected to provide substantial delays in the time to reach critical temperature thresholds, any small delays it might provide are likely to be greater for lower anthropogenic emissions scenarios than for higher‐emissions scenarios.

     


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    10 hours ago, virtualsphere said:

    Another one to add?  Eleven-year solar cycle signal in the NAO and Atlantic/European blocking

    Excellent. Many thanks. Added to the library above.

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