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On the Influence of Variations in Solar Irradiance on Climate: A Case Study of West Africa

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Abstract

Variations in total solar irradiance (TSI) are known to affect the climate, but the extent at specific locations on the globe is not known. This paper uses the version 4.7 of the regional climate model (RegCM4.7) developed at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics to simulate the influence of ± 5 W m−2 changes in TSI on the precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, water availability for plant, and heat stress over West Africa. In general, the 5 W m−2 increase in TSI results in increase in precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, water availability for plants, and heat stress, while reduction of 5 W m−2 in TSI reduces the magnitude of the variables. It results in increase in irrigation water need. However, the induced changes are latitudinal. Latitudes 15–25°N stand out in the TSI ± 5 W m−2 experiments for contrary-induced changes in near-surface air temperature with respect to the induced changes in the whole domain. This is attributed to the cooling associated with evaporation increase due to TSI increase and vice versa.

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. All the facilities used were fully provided by the Centre. The monthly precipitation and temperature data used for model validation are partly obtained from the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, Boulder, CO, USA, from their Web site at https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/. The CRU data are used in this study which is provided by Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia. The author is grateful to the UCAR NCAR for releasing the TRMM_3B42 data.

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  1. Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Mojisola Oluwayemisi Adeniyi

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Correspondence to Mojisola Oluwayemisi Adeniyi.

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Adeniyi, M.O. On the Influence of Variations in Solar Irradiance on Climate: A Case Study of West Africa. Earth Syst Environ 3, 189–202 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-019-00103-2

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