Solar Activity and Regional Climate

Regional climate impacts of a possible future grand solar minimum

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 thro...

Solar forcing of regional climate change during the Maunder Minimum.

We examine the climate response to solar irradiance changes between the late 17th-century Maunder Minimum and the late 18th century. Global average temperature changes are small (about 0.3 degrees to 0.4 degrees C) in both a climate model and empirical reconstructions. However, regional temperature changes are quite large. In the model, these occur primarily through a forced shift toward the lo...

Phase-coherent oscillatorymodes in solar andgeomagnetic activity and climate variability

Oscillatory modes with the period of approximately 7–8 years were detected in monthly time series of sunspot numbers, geomagnetic activity aa index, NAO index and near-surface air temperature from several mid-latitude European locations. Instantaneous phases of the modes underwent synchronization analysis and their statistically significant phase coherence, beginning from 1950’s, has been obser...

Linkages between solar activity, climate predictability and water resource development

Regional variations in the health, environmental, and climate benefits of wind and solar generation.

When wind or solar energy displace conventional generation, the reduction in emissions varies dramatically across the United States. Although the Southwest has the greatest solar resource, a solar panel in New Jersey displaces significantly more sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter than a panel in Arizona, resulting in 15 times more health and environmental benefits. A wind t...