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Forcing of Climate Variations by Mev-gev ParticlesChanges in ionization production in the lower stratosphere by a few percent during Forbush decreases have been shown to correlate well with changes in winter tropospheric dynamics by a similar relatively small amount. Changes in ionization production by tens of percent on the decadal time scale have been shown to be correlated with changes in winter storm frequencies by tens of percent in the western North Atlantic. Changes in total solar irradiance or solar UV do not have time variations to match the tropospheric variations on the day to day time scales discussed here. Forcing related to magnetic activity is not supported. Thus solar wind/MeV-GeV particle changes appear to be the only viable forcing function for these day to day variations. If solar wind/particle forcing of a few percent amplitude can produce short term weather responses, then observed changes by tens of percent on the decadal and centennial time scale could produce climate changes on these longer time scales. The changes in circulation involved would produce regional climate changes, as observed. At present the relations between stratospheric ionization, electric fields and chemistry and aerosol and cloud microphysics are as poorly known as the relations between the latter and storm feedback processes. However, the capability for investigating these relationships now exists and has recently been most successfully used for elucidating the stratospheric chemistry and cloud microphysics associated with the Antarctic ozone hole. The economic benefits of being able to predict winter severity on an interannual basis, and the extent to which climate change related to solar variability will add to or substract from the greenhouse effect, should be more than adequate to justify support for research in this area.
Document ID
19910003177
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Tinsley, Brian A. (Texas Univ. at Dallas Richardson, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Climate Impact of Solar Variability
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
91N12490
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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