Events

 
Colloquium

Sun-climate interaction: mechanisms and impacts

Tuesday, 14 December 2021, 15:15-16:15
online via Zoom

Solar activity varies on different time scales from days to centuries. Of particular relevance for Earth’s climate and weather is the 11-year Schwabe cycle, which is associated with decadal variations in solar electromagnetic radiation as well as in the amount of solar energetic particles (SEPs) reaching the top of Earth’s atmosphere. Absorption of the solar ultraviolet radiation by atmospheric gases and aerosols, and chemical processes involving SEP lead to a measurable solar signal in different meteorological variables, such as stratospheric temperature, and stratospheric ozone. Due to dynamical feedback processes, the stratospheric solar signal is transferred further down to the troposphere where it even may influence northern hemisphere climate variability, for example the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). For the tropics, an alternative mechanism of solar climate modulation has been suggested involving ocean-atmosphere interactions.

While the basic sun-climate interactions seem to be understood, open questions remain particularly with respect to the robustness of the decadal solar signal over multi-decadal periods and the role of the oceans in maintaining the solar signal impact. This presentation will review the basic understanding of the sun-climate interactions, and address on-going discussions. Finally, the impact of a future weakening of the solar Schwabe cycle (a so-called Grand Solar Minimum) in a changing climate will be discussed, based on simulations with the chemistry-climate model EMAC.

This event is part of the eventgroup Meteorology Colloquium Karlsruhe
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Langematz

FU, Berlin
Organizer
IMK-ASF Administration
IMK-ASF
KIT
Karlsruhe
Tel: +49 721 608-28271
Mail: sekretariat does-not-exist.imk-asf kit edu
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