Solar-wind-magnetosphere energy influences the interannual variability of the northern-hemispheric winter climate

Abstract

Solar irradiance has been universally acknowledged to be dominant by quasi-decadal variability, which has been adopted frequently to investigate its effect on climate decadal variability. As one major terrestrial energy source, solar-wind energy flux into Earth's magnetosphere (E_in) exhibits dramatic interannual variation, the effect of which on Earth's climate, however, has not drawn much attention. Based on the E_in estimated by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we demonstrate a novelty that the annual mean E_in can explain up to 25% total interannual variance of the northern-hemispheric temperature in the subsequent boreal winter. The concurrent anomalous atmospheric circulation resembles the positive phase of Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation. The warm anomalies in the tropic stratopause and tropopause induced by increased solar-wind-magnetosphere energy persist into the subsequent winter. Due to the dominant change in the polar vortex and mid-latitude westerly in boreal winter, a 'top-down' propagation of the stationary planetary wave emerges in the Northern Hemisphere and further influences the atmospheric circulation and climate.

Keywords: interannual variability; solar wind; stratosphere; winter climate.