Solar activity and the weather

Abstract

The attempts during the past century to establish a connection between solar activity and the .weather are discussed. Some critical remarks about the quality,of much of the literature , in this field are given. Several recent investigations are summarized. Use of the solar/ interplanetary magnetic sector structure in future investigations is suggested to perhaps add an element of cohesiveness and interaction to these investigations.That there is a causal connection between the observed variations in the forces of the Sun, the terrestrial magnetic field, and the meteorological elements has been the conclusion of every research into this subject for the past 50 years. The elucidation of exactly what the connection is and the scientific proof of it is to be classed among the most, difficult problems presented in terrestrial physics. The evidence adduced in favor of this conclu : sion is on the whole of a cumulative kind, since the direct sequence of cause and effect is so far masked in the complex interaction of the many delicate forces in operation as to render its' immediate measurement quite impossible in the present state of science..Before attempting to abstract the results of this research on these points a brief resume of the views held by the leading investigators will be given, especially with the object of presenting the status of the problem to those who are not fully acquainted with this line of scientific literature.

Relationship between annual variations in the rate of change of magnetic intensity and those of surface air temperature.

“…Since then well over one thousand papers have been published on the subject. In spite of the fact that the majority of the authors of the papers claim to have found correlations between sunspot activity and magnetism, the correlations are not widely accepted as convincing according to WILCOX (1975) and PITTOCK (1978. It is of interest to note that KELVIN (1892) concluded that the supposed connection between magnetism and sunspots is unreal.…”

“…Various investigators, including WILLETT and PROHASKA (1965), CHRISTIE (1973), andPAETZOLD (1973), have suggested that changes in ozone concentrations may be part of the chain which affects weather and climate. According to WILCOX (1975) and PITTOCH (1980) a widely accepted physical mechanism has not yet emerged. We suggest two mechanisms; the first based on studies referred to below and on the results of the study we report here.…”

“…Recent comprehensive reviews of the sun-weather/climate relationships have been published by KING (1975), WILCOX (1975), SHAPLEY and KROEHL (1977), ROBERTS (1979), and HERMAN and GOLDBERG (1979). That sunspot activity is the probable cause of weather and climatic changes has been questioned by many investigators.…”

Evidence for cosmic ray modulation in temperature records from the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly region

“…However, this relation between solar activity and climate has been difficult to determine because the solar energy flux variation during a solar cycle is very small and insufficient to give rise to significant climate variations (Dickinson, 1975). Nevertheless, there were observational results that would favor the solar activity-climate correlation (e.g., Wilcox, 1975;Lassen and Friis-Christensen, 1995). An alternative and consistent explanation was proposed by Svensmark and FriisChristensen (1997) and Svensmark (2007) by introducing the intermediate action of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs).…”

Solar variability and terrestrial weather

“…A number of general reviews of work in the field have been published , including those by Wilcox (1975Wilcox ( ,1976, Pittock (1978 ) , and Siscoe (1978).…”