Energetic particle forcing of the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere: comparison to solar irradiance forcing

Seppala, Annika; Clilverd, Mark A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7388-1529. 2014 Energetic particle forcing of the Northern Hemisphere winter stratosphere: comparison to solar irradiance forcing. Frontiers in Physics, 2, 25. 6, pp. 10.3389/fphy.2014.00025

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2014.00025

Abstract/Summary

Variation in solar irradiance is considered an important factor in natural climate forcing. Variations in the solar UV in particular are now regarded as a major source of decadal variability in the stratosphere, influencing surface climate through stratosphere–troposphere coupling. However, by analyzing meteorological re-analysis data we find that the magnitude of the solar controlled energetic particle forcing signal in stratospheric zonal mean zonal winds and polar temperatures is equivalent to those arising from solar irradiance variations during the Northern Hemisphere polar winter months. We find that energetic particle forcing drives warmer polar upper stratospheric temperatures from early winter leading to an anomalously strong polar night jet via modulation of the vertical temperature gradient. By midwinter the stratosphere–troposphere coupling pathway becomes analogous to the solar UV impact at high latitudes. This not only highlights the importance of the energetic particle forcing contribution to stratospheric circulation, but enables us to understand the pathways responsible for the previously reported energetic particle forcing impacts on the troposphere in terms of the coupling of solar UV forcing to dynamics in the latter part of the winter.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.3389/fphy.2014.00025
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Climate
ISSN:	2296-424X
Additional Keywords:	energetic particle precipitation, stratosphere, dynamics, stratosphere-troposphere connection, solar forcing, solar cycle, solar variability
Date made live:	24 Sep 2014 11:05 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/508485

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.3389/fphy.2014.00025

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Climate

ISSN:

2296-424X

Additional Keywords:

energetic particle precipitation, stratosphere, dynamics, stratosphere-troposphere connection, solar forcing, solar cycle, solar variability

Date made live:

24 Sep 2014 11:05 +0 (UTC)