Preliminary Verification of a Proposed Solar-Terrestrial Relationship with Potential Weekly, Monthly, and Decadal Implications

Preliminary Verification of a Proposed Solar-Terrestrial Relationship with Potential Weekly, Monthly and Decadal Implications

DR. ALFRED M. POWELL, JR., MR. PHILLIP A. ZUZOLO, and MS. BRENDA J. ZUZOLO

Environmental Applications Division, Autometric Incorporated, Springfield, Virginia

ABSTRACT

A proposed solar-terrestrial mechanism is described that uses solar UV heating to generate weekly, monthly and decadal changes in tropospheric and stratospheric circulations. The strengths of this proposed relationship are that the mechanism is well defined, testable, and consistent with research work found in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the first analysis attempting to verify whether the proposed relationship may be valid.

The investigation analyzes the 1989 solar cycle maximum. The winter 1989 (Jan, Feb, Mar) northern hemisphere tropospheric temperatures (200 mb) are compared to F10.7 cm solar flux for the same period. Specific changes in the temperature gradients, meridional circulation components, and long wave pattern are discussed. The changes are compared to those expected by the proposed solar-terrestrial relationship.