New paper finds another mechanism by which the Sun controls climate — Published in Geophysical Research Letters
Study 'finds that short-term changes in solar activity over the 11 year solar cycle have a significant influence on the North Atlantic Oscillation [NAO] and Arctic Oscillation [AO]. According to the authors, 'Variability in solar irradiance has been connected to changes in surface climate in the North Atlantic through both observational and climate modelling studies.'
Using new satellite data demonstrating that solar UV varies by a factor that is 4 to 6 times larger than typical previous estimates, the authors find a mechanism to explain the solar effect on these climate oscillations via increased production of ozone in the atmosphere. The authors conclude that these large changes in solar UV can have significant effects on regional climate and may be useful for predicting seasonal and long term climate change in Europe.
