Signatures of solar activity variability in meteorological parameters

Solar radiation (both total and in various wavelengths) varies at different time scales—from seconds to decades or centuries—as a consequence of solar activity. The energy received from the Sun is one of the natural driving forces of the Earth's atmosphere and since this energy is not constant, it has been argued that there must be some non-zero climate response to it. This response must be fully specified in order to improve our understanding of the climate system and the impact of anthropogenic activities on it. However, despite all the efforts, if and how subtle variations of solar radiation affect climate and weather still remains an unsolved puzzle. One key element that is very often taken as evidence of a response, is the similarity of periodicities between several solar activity indices and different meteorological parameters. The literature contains a long history of positive or negative correlations between weather and climate parameters like temperature, rainfall, droughts, etc. and solar activity cycles like the 27-day cycle, the prominent 11-year sunspot cycle, the 22-year Hale cycle and the Gleissberg cycle of 80–90 years. A review of these different cycles is provided as well as some of the correlative analyses between them and several stratospheric parameters (like stratospheric geopotential heights, temperature and ozone concentration) and tropospheric parameters (like temperature, rainfall, water level in lakes and river flooding, clouds) that point to a relationship of some kind. However, the suspicion on these relationships will remain as long as an indisputable physical mechanism, which might act to produce these correlations, is not available.     

太阳活动11年周期对气象参数影响

利用多种资料研究了太阳活动11年周期对全球气温、风场、海表温度(SST)的影响,结果表明:(1)在第21、22太阳活动周,中低纬对流层顶以上大气温度变化具有类似太阳黑子变化的11年左右周期,相对于太阳黑子数,气温变化具有1～2年的延迟性;相对于太阳活动低年,200～10 hPa大气在太阳活动高年整层增温,以赤道低纬地区...     

Long-period fading in atmospherics during severe meteorological activity and associated solar geophysical phenomena at low latitudes

The records of VLF atmospherics over Calcutta and then over Kalyani (West Bengal) during the torrential rainfall, caused by violent monsoon and post-monsoon depressions, exhibit distinct long-period fadings both at day and night. Interesting results obtained from an analysis of round-the-clock atmospherics data and associated meteorological parameters are reported in this paper. A possible correlation between the severe meteorological activity with the solar geophysical phenomena was studied. The results are indicative of an interesting sequence of solar-terrestrial events. A tentative conclusion is reached, suggesting an origin of the fading from atmospheric gravity waves generated in the centre of activity of the depressions concerned.Currently at: Department of Physics, Serampore College, Serampore, 712 201 West Bengal     

Effects of solar and geomagnetic activities in variations of power spectra of electrical and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth atmosphere in Kamchatka during October 2003 solar events

We perform spectral analysis of records of meteorological (temperature, humidity, pressure of the atmosphere) and electrical (strength of quasi-static electric field and electric conductivity of air) parameters observed simultaneously at the Paratunka observatory during the solar events of October 21–31, 2003. Also, we use simultaneous records of X-ray fluxes of solar radiation, galactic cosmic rays, and the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. We show that the power spectra of the meteorological parameters under fine weather conditions involve oscillations with a period of thermal tidal waves (T ～ 12 and 24 h) caused by the influx of thermal radiation of the Sun. During strong solar flares and geomagnetic storm of October 29–31 with a prevailing component of T ～ 24 h, their spectra involve an additional component of T ～ 48 h (the period of planetary-scale waves). With the development of solar and geomagnetic activities, the power spectra of atmospheric electric conductivity and electric field stress involve components of both thermal tidal and planetary-scale waves, which vary highly by intensity. In the power spectra of galactic cosmic rays accompanying the strong solar flares, components with T ～ 48 h were dominant with the appearance of additional (weaker by intensity) components with T ～ 24 h. The simultaneous amplification of components with T ～ 48 h in the power spectra of electric conductivity and electric field strength provides evidence of the fact that the lower troposphere is mainly ionized by galactic cosmic rays during strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms. The specified oscillation period with T ～ 48 h in their spectra, as well as in the spectra of X-ray radiation of the sun, is apparently caused by the dynamics of solar and geomagnetic activities with this time scale.     

Cloudiness and estimation of incoming solar radiation in Iraq

Summary Monthly and seasonal variations of cloudiness have been studied for different zones of Iraq. It was found to be very low over the entire country and descends as we proceed southwards, except in summer, when it was found to be higher in the south than in the north. From the daily records of the Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorders at Mosul, Baghdad and Basrah, during a period of 10 years from 1961 to 1970, the actual hours and the percentage of possible hours of sunshine duration have been studied in detail and the results obtained are presented in a practical form. It has also been found that the pyrheliometric conditions for Baghdad could be considered representative of the entire country.Taking the incoming solar radiation for clear days during different months of the year, and radiation received on a horizontal surface at Baghdad into consideration, and applying Ångström empirical formulae, it was possible to estimate graphically the amount of solar radiation received at any location in Iraq at any time of the year when the cloudiness or the percentage of possible hours of sunshine is known.     

Incoming solar radiation measurements in Iraq and their presentation

Summary Measurements of the total incoming solar radiation on a horizontal surface have been recorded since 1967 at a network of actinometric stations in Iraq. The instrument used at each of these stations is a bimetallic actinograph of the Robitzsch type. The stations at Mosul, Baghdad and Nasiriya have been selected, to represent respectively the northern, central and southern climatic zones of Iraq.This paper examines from the available records at these stations, until August 1973, the differnt aspects of radiation climatology which are important in solar energy utilizations. The mean annual, monthly and daily radiation; the number of days in which the radiation has exceeded certain given limits and the periods of successive days having radiation less than 100 and 250 cal cm^–2 day^–1 have been studied and presented in tabular and graphical forms suitable for direct application.To architects and engineers interested in the availability of solar radiation on vertical and inclined surfaces, the hourly radiation values for Baghdad have been studied for the different months of the year and the corresponding isopleths on the horizontal have been drawn.     

Topography-adjusted solar radiation indices and their importance in hydrology

Abstract

Solar radiation, direct and diffuse, is affected by surface characteristics, such as slope, aspect, altitude and shading. The paper examines the effects of topography on radiation, at multiple spatiotemporal scales, using suitable geometric methods for the direct and diffuse components. Two indices are introduced for comparing the direct radiation received by areas at the same and different latitudes. To investigate the profile of direct radiation across the whole of Greece, these are evaluated from an hourly to annual basis, via GIS techniques. Moreover, different approaches are examined for estimating the actual global radiation at operational spatial scales (sub-basin and terrain), according to the available meteorological data. The study indicates that the errors of typical hydrometeorological modelling formulas, which ignore the topographic effects and the seasonal allocation of direct and diffuse radiation, depend on the spatial scale and are non-uniformly distributed in time. In all cases, the estimations are improved by applying the proposed adjustment approaches. In particular, the adjustment of the measured global radiation ensures up to 10% increase of efficiency, while the modified Angström formula achieves slight (i.e. 2–4%) increase of efficiency and notable reduction of bias.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Mamassis, N., Efstratiadis, A. and Apostolidou, I.-G., 2012. Topography-adjusted solar radiation indices and their importance in hydrology. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (4), 756–775.     

Variations in ionospheric parameters during solar flares

Results of studying the ionospheric response to solar flares, obtained based on the incoherent scatter radar observations of the GPS signals and as a result of the model simulations, are presented. The method, based on the effect of partial “shadowing” of the atmosphere by the globe, has been used to analyze the GPS data. This method made it possible to estimate the value of a change in the electron content in the upper ionosphere during the solar flare of July 14, 2000. It has been shown that a flare can cause a decrease in the electron content at heights of the upper ionosphere (h > 300 km) according to the GPS data. Similar effects in the formation of a negative disturbance in the ionospheric F region were also observed during the solar flares of May 21 and 23, 1967, at the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar. The mechanism by which negative disturbances are formed in the upper ionosphere during solar flares has been studied based on the theoretical model of the ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling. It has been shown that an intense ejection of O⁺ ions into the above located plasmasphere under the action of a sharp increase in the ion production rate and the thermal expansion of the ionospheric plasma cause the formation of a negative disturbance in the electron concentration in the upper ionosphere.     

Actinometric determination of turbidity parameters in India

Summary A study of the wavelength exponent of aerosol scattering in the Ångström relation for extinction by aerosol has been made from the ground-based measurments of direct solar radiation using Ångström pyrheliometer with and without Schott filters. It has been observed that in India, mainly for the middle part of the year this exponent is zero or even negative which means that the aerosol scattering is nearly neutral which is in marked contrast with the condition prevailing in middle latitudes. It is evident from the -values that the aerosol size distribution in India is far different from that prevailing in middle latitudes. At four representative stations in India, the values of the wavelength exponent and the atmospheric turbidity coefficient have been determined using the method introduced byÅngström [1,2]) and are discussed here.     

Comparison of two methods for ground level vapour sampling and influence of meteorological parameters on its stable isotopic composition at Roorkee,India

Ground level vapour (GLV) samples were collected at Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India using two methods: liquid condensation (LC) at 0 °C and cryogenic trap (CT) at ?78 °C for the period 2009–2011. The study reveals that there is a considerable fluctuation in stable isotopic composition of GLV throughout the year. The study area receives complex moisture source during different seasons, which is evident from the moisture flux received during different seasons. The isotopic composition of the GLV in both methods shows depleted nature during rainout process. CT method shows exact isotopic signature of GLV because of maximum trapping of air moisture and its condensation, whereas LC method shows depleted or enriched character because of the prevalence of kinetic and diffusive fractionation. The d value shows that LC method acts as magnifier of the CT method and clearly shows seasonal effect than the clustered CT method. Hence, to decipher the original isotopic signature of GLV, isotopic composition of GLV_LC can be converted to GLV_CT by deriving an empirical relationship with changing season and locations. Meteorological parameters show varied behaviour with GLV_{CT and LC} because of moisture sources in all seasons. The GLV_{CT and LC} method shows significant correlation with meteorological parameters when the region is dominated by single moisture source. The GLV_LC method magnifies the correlation with meteorological parameters when the region is influenced by more than one source. The study shows that the GLV_LC methods can be used in place of GLV_CT when the objective is to understand the influence of different moisture sources on GLV. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

UVB solar radiation climatology for Mexico

The measurement of solar B band Ultraviolet radiation (UVB) should be considered a priority in Mexico due to implications on public health throughout the country (total population, 108 million), but this is not carried out at present. Installed sensors cover only 0.12% of the country. However, there are alternative methods for estimating UVB radiation to overcome the lack of surface data. The most successful of these are based on the use of satellites for environmental monitoring. In the present work, UVB maps are constructed for the entire country using a single, daily satellite measurement of UVB at solar noon from 1978-2003. Satellite-derived values are compared with the ground measurements by a surface station located in Mexico City in order to validate the former. Wavelet spectrum analysis is employed to this end. A close correlation is observed between the two sets of data. Moreover, there is qualitative correspondence between the spatial distribution of the satellite-derived data and the surface topography. The difference resulting throughout the period mentioned is <2% of the average annual cumulative energy.     

On the evaluation of solar radiation in Egypt

Summary A study of the depletion of solar radiation at Helwan Observatory has shown, for Egypt, that:a) Diffuse reflexion and absorption by suspended particles in the atmosphere constitute about 20 percent of the total depletion;b) Absorption by water vapour is the only factor that should be evaluated at any place to give an estimation of the solar radiation received at that place. This can be obtained either from the mean values of the surface water vapour pressure which have been considered in detail, or, for individual cases, from spectroscopic measurements of the precipitable water content whose daily variations have been studied.     

Multitechnique studies of nor’wester using electrical and meteorological parameters

Radar observations of nor’wester (premonsoon thunderstorm) as experienced over the Gangetic West Bengal and the integrated field intensity of atmospherics (IFIA) at 10, 20 and 30 kHz recorded over the tropical station at Calcutta have been analysed. The records of IFIA reveal that, during nor’wester, the enhancement in the signal level occurs in three different stages: (i) gradual rise of atmospherics (GRA), (ii) first sudden enhancement of atmospherics (SEA₁) and (iii) second sudden enhancement of atmospherics (SEA₂. Their respective occurrences have been found to be prevalent in pre-noon, latenoon and afternoon hours of a day. Of the three stages, GRA and SEA₁ have been found to occur before the onset of thunderstorm, while SEA₂ may even occur after its onset. A comparative study reveals that the precipitation during premonsoon thunderstorms is associated with the second sudden enhancement, while it is associated with the steady recovery of IFIA during the monsoon and postmonsoon thunderstorms. The characteristics of the first nor’wester of every year have been critically examined with an additional consideration of simultaneous radiosonde records. A probable explanation has been made in terms of the distribution of the effective sources at such times around the observing site.     

Variations of solar radiation input to the lower atmosphere associated with different helio/geophysical factors

The influence of helio/geophysical factors on the solar energy input to the lower atmosphere has been studied at the network of actinometric stations of Russia in different latitudinal belts. It was found that there are appreciable changes in the half-yearly values of total radiation associated with galactic cosmic ray (GCR) variations in the 11-yr solar cycle, the increase of GCR flux being accompanied by a decrease of the total radiation at higher latitudes and by its increase at lower latitudes. Auroral phenomena and solar flare activity are likely to affect the solar radiation input to the high-latitudinal belt together with GCR variations, the increase of both these factors resulting in the decrease of total radiation. The changes found in the total radiation fluxes in the lower atmosphere seem to be related to the cloud cover variations associated with the solar and geophysical phenomena under study. The variations of the solar radiation input in the 11-yr-cycle amounting to ±4–6% may be an important factor affecting tropospheric dynamics.     

Seismicity parameters for important urban agglomerations in India

India’s urban population has increased in the recent times. An earthquake near an urban agglomeration has the potential to cause severe damage. In this article, seismicity parameters for region surrounding important urban agglomerations in India are estimated. A comprehensive earthquake catalogue for the region (6°E–42°E latitude and 60°N–100°N longitude) including historic and pre-historic events has been compiled from various sources. To estimate the parameters, past earthquake data in a control region of radius 300 km has been assembled to quantify the seismicity around each urban agglomeration. The collected earthquake data is first evaluated for its completeness. From combined (historical and instrumental) data, the seismicity parameters b-value, seismic activity rate, λ and maximum expected magnitude (m _max ) have been obtained from the methodology proposed by Kijko and Graham (1998). The obtained activity rates indicate that region surrounding Guwahati urban agglomeration is the most seismically active region followed by Srinagar, Patna, Amritsar and Chandigarh.     

Seismic recurrence parameters for India and adjoined regions

Journal of Seismology - This article focuses on estimating the seismic recurrence parameters of India and adjoining regions based on a comprehensive catalogue assimilated from various sources. The...     

Defining area-average parameters in meteorological models for land surfaces with mesoscale heterogeneity

After a brief review of existing methods developed to describe the subgrid variability of soil and vegetation at large scale, the paper summarizes aggregation results obtained in the framework of the Hapex-Mobilhy and EFEDA field experiments. The parameter aggregation method is based on the estimation of effective parameters for the soil and for the vegetation, representative of the large area. In conditions of moderate land-surface variability, the effective surface fluxes computed using a single column model forced by effective surface parameters are close to the areally-averaged turbulent fluxes estimated by a mesoscale model. A simple method for accounting for the subgrid variability of intercepted rain is tested.     

Assessment of some global solar radiation parameterizations

In spite of their practicability, most classical models are not versatile but rather restrictive in their application. Consequently, their applicability for a particular location depends largely on validation against actual measurements. Global solar radiation parameterizations have been evaluated in this study for a lowland and a mountain site. Tested models were broadly categorised as cloud-based (Kasten) and sunshine-based (Ångström–Prescott, Garg and Garg, Sivkov). Data sets utilised for the evaluation extended from 1991 to 1994. Adjustable parameters in the models were determined. Observed monthly mean values of solar radiation G and those estimated using Kasten model agreed within 2.5% for the lowland site and 13% for the mountain site. Root mean square errors of estimated hourly values of G using Kasten model appreciated significantly with fractional cloud cover N (particularly for N>4 octals). For the study sites as well as other locations examined here, Ångström–Prescott coefficients did not show a distinctive trend with respect to season, geographical co-ordinate or altitude. Monthly mean values of G estimated using Ångström–Prescott model agreed with observation within 2.5% for the lowland site and 3.4% for the mountain site. The effect of air mass, latitude and water vapour terms on the Ångström–Prescott relation has also been investigated. In general, Ångström–Prescott as well as Garg and Garg models yielded the least RMSE (<0.047) for the study sites and are thus recommended for estimating G for an arbitrary location.     

Measurements of total solar radiation at Giza

Summary Records of total solar radiation on a horizontal surface has been obtained at the Agro-meteorological Station at Giza continuously since December 1, 1955 by means of a Robitzsch actinograph. The difficulties in obtaining precise measurements were described. The results of the first three years of record were discussed and summarized in tabular and graphical form. To such few years of observations, a 15 days moving average was applied. The new data were plotted so as to obtain the solar radiation pattern, which has been compared with the radiation received at the outer limits of the atmosphere and with the maximum probable radiation expected at the Station.