Abstract
Atmospheric ions produced through solar-modulated galactic cosmic rays can promote both the nucleation and the growth of aerosols. The potential impact on the cloud cover is subject of current debates. The CAWSES project SAGACITY (SAtellite and model studies of GAlactic cosmic rays and Clouds modulated by solar activITY) focuses on the statistical analysis of this link, using MIPAS-E satellite data. The extinction data, the cloud occurrence frequency, and the cloud index data from MIPAS-E are correlated with the data from the Climax neutron monitor. A superposed epoch analysis of 6 selected Forbush decrease events yields several weak but statistically significant correlations with an excess of positive cloud-GCR correlations. The impact of a 15 % increase in the Climax neutron monitor data is estimated to result in a small decrease in cloud index (corresponding to an increase in cloud opacity) which is most pronounced at 9 km altitude (−9 % to +0.5 %).
Cornelius Schiller is deceased.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arnold, F. (2008). Atmospheric ions and aerosol formation. Space Science Reviews, 137(1–4), 225–239.
Calogovic, J., Albert, C., Arnold, F., Beer, J., Desorgher, L., & Flueckiger, E. O. (2010). Sudden cosmic ray decreases: No change of global cloud cover. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L03802. doi:10.1029/2009GL041327.
Enghoff, M. B., & Svensmark, H. (2008). The role of atmospheric ions in aerosol nucleation—a review. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8(16), 4911–4923.
Hoffmann, L., Kaufmann, M., Spang, R., Müller, R., Remedios, J. J., Moore, D. P., Volk, C. M., von Clarmann, T., & Riese, M. (2008). ENVISAT MIPAS measurements of cfc-11: retrieval, validation, and climatology. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8(13), 3671–3688.
Kristjánsson, J. E., Stjern, C. W., Stordal, F., Fjaeraa, A. M., Myhre, G., & Jonasson, K. (2008). Cosmic rays, cloud condensation nuclei and clouds—a reassessment using MODIS data. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8(24), 7373–7387.
Marsh, N. D., & Svensmark, H. (2000). Low cloud properties influenced by cosmic rays. Physical Review Letters, 85, 5004–5007. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.5004.
Rohs, S., Spang, R., Rohrer, F., Schiller, C., & Vos, H. (2010). A correlation study of high-altitude and midaltitude clouds and galactic cosmic rays by MIPAS-ENVISAT. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, D14212. doi:10.1029/2009JD012608.
Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., & Averyt, M. T. K. B. (Eds.) (2007). IPCC, 2007: Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Spang, R., Remedios, J. J., & Barkley, M. P. (2004). Colour indices for the detection and differentiation of cloud types in infra-red limb emission spectra. Advances in Space Research, 33(7), 1041–1047.
Svensmark, H., Bondo, T., & Svensmark, J. (2009). Cosmic ray decreases affect atmospheric aerosols and clouds. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L15101. doi:10.1029/2009GL038429.
Usoskin, I. G., & Kovaltsov, G. A. (2008). Cosmic rays and climate of the Earth: Possible connection. Comptes Rendus. Géoscience, 340(7), 441–450.
Yu, F., Wang, Z., Luo, G., & Turco, R. (2008). Ion-mediated nucleation as an important global source of tropospheric aerosols. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8(9), 2537–2554.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under the SPP 1176 (CAWSES) grant SCHI-872/1-1 (SAGACITY). The Climax-Neutron count data are generated within the NSF Grant ATM-0339527 and the MIPAS level 1b and level 2 data are provided by ESA. With great sadness we mourn the death of our dear colleague Cornelius Schiller, who passed away on 3 March 2012.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rohs, S., Spang, R., Hoffmann, L., Rohrer, F., Schiller, C. (2013). Do Galactic Cosmic Rays Impact the Cirrus Cloud Cover?. In: Lübken, FJ. (eds) Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System (CAWSES). Springer Atmospheric Sciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4348-9_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4348-9_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4347-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4348-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)