The influence of solar activity on action centres of atmospheric circulation in North Atlantic

• Published in: Annales Geophysicae
• Main Authors: L. Sfîcă, M. Voiculescu, R. Huth
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2015
• Subjects: Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; Pacific; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-33-207-2015; https://doaj.org/article/c10758c906b64feb870d533df151e798

We analyse the response of sea level pressure and mid-tropospheric (500 hPa) geopotential heights to variations in solar activity. We concentrate on the Northern Hemisphere and North Atlantic in the period 1948–2012. Composite and correlation analyses point to a strengthening of the North Atlantic Oscillation and weakening (i.e. becoming more zonal) of the Pacific/North American pattern. The locations of points with lowest and highest sea level pressure in the North Atlantic change their positions between low and high solar activity.