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Published on: October 18, 2017
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Slowdown of the Walker circulation at solar cycle maximum
Stergios Misios1,2, Lesley J Gray3,4, Mads F Knudsen2,5
1Department of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom; stergios.misios@physics.ox.ac.uk.
Summary
The solar cycle (SC) influences the Pacific Walker Circulation (PWC) on decadal scales. Solar maxima weaken the PWC through a muted hydrology mechanism, impacting Indo-Pacific climate patterns.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science
- Atmospheric Science
- Oceanography
Background:
- The Pacific Walker Circulation (PWC) is a key component of Earth's climate system, exhibiting variability on interannual and multidecadal timescales.
- External forcings, including solar cycles, are known to influence climate patterns, but their specific impact on the PWC requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide observational evidence for the influence of the 11-year solar cycle (SC) on the Pacific Walker Circulation (PWC).
- To elucidate the physical mechanisms through which solar forcing modulates the PWC and associated climate phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of observational data to identify relationships between solar maxima and changes in sea-level pressure gradients and wind patterns over the Indo-Pacific.
- Utilizing coupled ocean-atmosphere climate model simulations forced solely by solar cycle irradiance variations to support observational findings.
- Investigating the role of the global hydrological cycle and atmosphere-ocean coupling in amplifying solar-induced climate responses.
Main Results:
- A robust reduction in Indo-Pacific east-west sea-level pressure gradients was observed during solar maxima and the subsequent 1-2 years.
- This reduction correlated with westerly wind anomalies in the western/central Pacific and an eastward shift of convective precipitation, favoring increased rainfall in the central Pacific.
- Model simulations driven by solar cycle variations confirmed the observed solar modulation of the PWC, highlighting a 'muted hydrology' mechanism.
Conclusions:
- The 11-year solar cycle significantly modulates the Pacific Walker Circulation on decadal timescales.
- A muted hydrological response to solar warming amplifies ocean temperature anomalies, weakening the PWC.
- This mechanism provides confidence in climate models predicting a similar weakening of the PWC under increasing greenhouse gas forcing.
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