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The global 11‐year solar signal in July–August
Author(s) -
van Loon Harry,
Shea Dennis J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl003764
Subject(s) - troposphere , solar cycle , atmospheric sciences , zonal and meridional , environmental science , climatology , solar minimum , polar vortex , solar maximum , solar cycle 22 , geology , physics , solar wind , quantum mechanics , magnetic field
During the past 41 years there has been an observable effect of the 11‐year solar cycle on the temperatures and heights in the levels between the middle troposphere and 10 hPa (the highest level in the data) in July–August. Between 30°S and the North Pole the temperatures and heights were higher at peaks than in valleys of the solar cycle, between 30°S and 70°S they were lower in the peaks, and above Antarctica they were higher. This meridional pattern of differences and the fact that they decrease with decreasing elevation suggest that the solar signal observed below 10 hPa is imposed from above as an indirect, dynamic effect. The pattern of the temperature and height differences indicates that the solar cycle affects the southern winter and northern summer stratospheric vortices. At the earth's surface an 11‐year solar signal is not obvious in the zonally averaged temperatures and pressures in July–August.