Publication Abstracts

Tsubota 1995

Tsubota, Y., 1995: Analysis of the Effect of Solar Irradiance Variability on Global Sea Surface Temperature and Climate: An Investigation Using the NASA, Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model. Ph.D. thesis. Columbia University.

Recent satellite measurements confirm that total solar-irradiance changes occur over the 11-year solar cycle. Such variability was re-examined as one of the possible causes for terrestrial climate change.

A phase difference between total solar irradiance and 10.7 cm solar radio flux was found by analyzing data from the Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment. Therefore, total solar irradiance data provide better correlation with climate-change signals than the 10.7 cm solar radio flux.

Statistically-significant correlations (α = 0.025) between total solar irradiance anomalies (TSIA) and Sea Surface Temperature anomalies (SSTA) were found in the middle latitudes. In both hemispheres, there were positive correlations between TSIA and SSTA in the areas of poleward ocean currents. Negative correlations were found in the areas of equatorward currents.

The NASA/GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) GCM (General Circulation Model) was used to examine the global effects of SSTA and UV (ultraviolet) flux changes on geopotential height, temperature, wind, precipitation, and cloud cover. The SSTA effect enhanced the planetary wave number two and four pattern on the geopotential height. Any change of UV flux was most observable in the geopotential field of the stratosphere. The combined effects of SSTA and UV flux changes on atmospheric factors were not a simple summation. Model results would be improved if UV flux measurements had greater precision.

The measured solar UV changes are much larger than changes in total solar irradiance. Therefore, large changes in UV flux were examined. The GCM output showed corresponding changes in net surface heating.

Moreover, GCM results show that solar maximum and minimum effects on climate may be cumulative.

Five middle latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere were selected for detailed climate-change analysis, in the GCM, based on changes in SSTA over a solar cycle. The following changes were observed:

(1) Correlations between solar cycle and precipitation are dependent on the specific area and season.

(2) All areas shows either positive or negative anomalies in annual precipitation that correspond with solar maximum and minimum.

Future studies will use observational data from other sources to check GCM forecasts described in this paper.

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BibTeX Citation

@phdthesis{ts05300j,
  author={Tsubota, Y.},
  title={Analysis of the Effect of Solar Irradiance Variability on Global Sea Surface Temperature and Climate: An Investigation Using the NASA, Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model},
  year={1995},
  school={Columbia University},
  address={New York, N.Y.},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - THES
ID  - ts05300j
AU  - Tsubota, Y.
PY  - 1995
BT  - Analysis of the Effect of Solar Irradiance Variability on Global Sea Surface Temperature and Climate: An Investigation Using the NASA, Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model
PB  - Columbia University
CY  - New York, N.Y.
ER  -

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