Cosmic rays and processes in the atmosphere

Cosmic rays and processes in the atmosphere

Yuri StozhkovP.N. Lebedev Physical Institute,

Russian academy of sciences

ContentIntroductionCR in the atmosphereIonization in the atmosphereAtmospheric electricityCR fluxes and atmospheric processesCR fluxes, Be-10 and C-14 atomsAbout global warming in futureConclusion


Energy fluxesSolar irradiation

1.36 · 103 W/m2

Galactic cosmic rays (particles with Е > 0.1 GeV) 10-5 W/m2

CR fluxes define general electric properties of the atmosphere and govern electric processes in it. Now we understand the main physical mechanisms being at the basis of such phenomena as global electric circuit operation, thunderstorm formation, lightning production and so on.

Sprites and elves triggered by the ground-to-cloud lightning (Lyons W.A., et al., 2000, EOS, v. 81, 373).

Lightning LightningThunderstorms

Precipitations

Sun

Galactic cosmic ray fluxes

Atmosphere of the Earth

Clouds

Precipitation

Electric charge of the Earth

Dailyrotation ofthe Earth

Weatherand

Climate

Earth-quakes

Volcanoeruptions

Biologicalrhythms


GCR energy spectrum

1

2

3

4

5

7 8 9 10 11 12

lg (E, eV)

J(Е)

, m-2

s-1 sr

-1 M

eV-1

GCR

SCR

NM

s trat.

10-6

102

1

10-2

10-4

Cosmic ray fluxes in the atmosphere

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

count/min

h, k

mMu 02.09.97

Mu 04.09.97

Mo 02.09.97

Mo 03.09.97

Mi 03.09.97

Mi 08.09.97

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 1 2 3 4

N, cm-2 s-1

h, k

m

0.4 GV2.4 GV6.7 GV

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1930 1950 1970 1990Year

J( E

> 0

.1 G

eV),

m-2

s-1

sr-1

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Год

J, м

-2 с

-1 ср

-1

E > 0.1 ГэВ

0.1 < E < 1.5 ГэВ

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000Year

J, m

-2 s

-1 sr

-1

E > 0.1 GeV

0.1 < E < 1.5 GeV

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

Nm

ax, c

m-2

s-1

Rc=2.4 GV

Rc=0.04 and 0.5 GV

Rc=6.7 GV

Green curve - cosmic ray flux (monthly data) at Pfotzer’s maximum at polar region (Rc=0.6 GV). Red curve - cosmic ray flux data smoothed with T=22 years.Blue line – calculation with a least square method

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

55 65 75 85 95

Year

Nm

ax, c

m-2

s-1

160

180

200

220

240

260

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

МурмМоскМирн

Count / min

Year

h=10 km

100

1000

10000

100000

1 10 100 1000Х, g/cm2

coun

t / m

inMirny

background

Start, UT 1 - 08:22 2 - 10:53 3 - 13:36 4 - 19:42

1

2

3

4

09.11.2000

05

10152025303540

0 1 2 3 4N, cm-2 s-1

h, k

m

1250 05.03.00

0930 05.05.00

Start UT Date

Particle precipitation


Cosmic ray fluxes in the atmosphere

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

count/min

h, k

mMu 02.09.97

Mu 04.09.97

Mo 02.09.97

Mo 03.09.97

Mi 03.09.97

Mi 08.09.97

Ion production in the atmosphere (averaged over globe)

Ionization source Ion pairs/sec

Natural radioactivity(altitudes h < 3 km)

< 10 24

Galactic cosmic rays(all atmosphere) (10 27 – 10 28 )

Solar CRs and precipitation(polar latitudes, sporadic) (10 26 – 10 27 )

UV- and X – solar radiation(altitudes h > 50 km) 1028

Solar wind (ionosphere) 1026

Lightning (regions with thunderstorms, h < 10 km)

(1027 – 10 28 )

0

10

20

30

0 1 2 3

n ,103 cm-3

h, k

m

17.3 5.3 30.6

0

10

20

30

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5I, cm-2 s-1

17.3 5.6 3.4 0.03


Mareev E.A., 2004; S. Davydenko et al., JGR, D5, 2004

Mesoscale Convective Systems

Global electric circuit

Earth's surface

thunde rcloud

R1

R2R3

R4

J gJ a

h ~ 60 km ionosphere

Electric characteristics of the atmosphere

Electric charge of the EarthQ - 600 000 C

Electric field strength near the surface E 130 V/m

Electric current in the atmosphere J 10-12 A/m2

Jtot 2000 A

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

65 70 75 80 85Year

J, 1

0-12 A

m-2

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

N(h

= 2

5 km

), cm

-2 s-1

JN

r (I, J) = + 0.67 0.14; r (J, Rz)= 0.32 0.22

GCR flux and lightning activity

10

15

20

25

30

1988 1992 1996 2000Year

m,1

06 dis

char

ges

/ yea

r

8

9

10

11

12

q, 1

06 ion

pairs

/ (c

m3 s

)

m

q


Relative changes of daily values of rainfall before Forbush-decrease (negative days), during the main phase of F-d (zero day), and after F-d (positive days). Rainfall data were collected from Brazil and USSR territories for the period of 1956-1993. 70 Forbush-events were analyzed: D = - (13.22.5) %. For Brazil data only (15 Forbush-events): D = - (29.27.5) %.

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

D , %

Days

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30

Days

D, %

Relative changes of daily values of rainfall before solar proton event (negative days), during the solar proton event (zero day), and after it (positive days). Rainfall data were collected from Brazil and USSR territories for the period of 1942-1993. 43 solar proton events (particles with energy > several GeV) were analyzed: D = + (13.35.3) %. The superposed epoch method was used.

Svensmark H., Friis-Christensen E., Variation of cosmic ray flux and global cloud coverage - a missing link in solar-climate relationship, J. Atmosph. and Solar-Terrest. Phys., 1997, v. 59, № 11, 1225.


In the atmosphere cosmic rays (CR) produce Be-10, C-14 and other radionuclides. It is commonlysupposed that the concentrations of Be-10 in polarice and C-14 in tree rings are good proxies of CRfluxes impinging on the top of the atmosphere.

But before the precipitation on the Earth’s surfacethese elements spend several years in theatmosphere.

The atmospheric processes play an essential role inthe radionuclide precipitation and destroy therelationship between CR and radionuclide concentrations.

Kepler’s Supernova Remnant

10-year averages of C-14 data over the period of 859 - 1900; Yearly Be-10 data from Greenland for the period of 1423 - 1985; 22-year smoothed Be-10 data from Antarctica over the period of 859 - 1973

There is a large difference in the mean values of Be-10 concentrations obtained from Greenland and Antarctic ice cores. The <Be-10> concentrations in Greenland and Antarctica calculated over periods shown in the Figure are 1.05 and 3.86 (in the units of 104 atoms/g) accordingly.

The correlation between Be-10 data from Greenland and C-14 data is low. After exclusion of the trend in C-14 dataset the maximum value of a correlation coefficient was 0.49 with a time shift of 6 years.

Correlation coefficient between Antarctic Be-10 data and C-14 data vs. time shift (C-14 Be-10).

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990Year

Be-

10, 1

04 at

oms/

g

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

J(E

> 0

.1 G

eV),

m-2

s-1

sr-1

Be-10

CR

-0.1

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

t , year

r (Be-10, J )

Periods 1954 to 1958

1965 to 1958

1965 to 1970

1977 to 1970

1977 to 1981

average

CR fluxes ratio with E = (0.1-1.5) GeV

4.41 4.13 4.43 4.70 4.70 4.47

0.11CR fluxes ratio with E = (0.1-5.8) GeV

3.09 2.82 2.58 2.61 2.972.81

0.10CR fluxes ratio with E 0.1 GeV

2.61 2.45 2.29 2.26 2.52.

42 0.07Be-10 ratio,

t = 0 1.9 2.62 2.56 1.39 0.781.85

0.35Be-10 ratio, t = 1 yr. 2.1 1.27 1.22 1.28 0.97

1.37

0.19Be-10 ratio, t = 2 yrs. 1.37 2.07 2.43 1.77 0.61

1.65

0.31

Table 1. The ratios of maximum cosmic ray fluxes (CR) to minimum ones observed in the periods of minimum and maximum solar activity and the ratios of Be-10 concentrations during the same periods. t = t(Be-10) – t(CR) is the time shift between Be-10 and cosmic ray data.

The averaged amplitude of 11-solar cycle in Be-10 data from Greenland ice cores was found as

%100max

maxmin

Rz

RzRz

CCC

A

where the values of CRzmin and CRzmin are the values of Be-10 concentrations during minima and maxima of sunspot number periods accordingly. Then the mean fractional ratio values <A> vs. different time shifts between Be-10 and solar activity data were calculated.

The maximum mean value of <A> for Be-10 data calculated over the period since 1711 till 1986 is 0.31 with a 4-year time shift.

The mean value of <A> for CR (particles with E > 0.1 GeV), calculated over the period since 1954 till 1981 is 2.44 0.08.

It means that the amplitude of 11-year modulation in CR is much bigger than in Be-10 produced by CR.

The facts given above could be explained by the weather (climate changes) influence.

The different sets of data on radionuclides produced by CRs are agreed with each other not so well.

The amplitude of variation in Be-10 data is much lower than that of CR in the 11-year solar cycle.

The atmospheric effects play a main role in the variations of Be-10 and C-14 concentration.

It is better to use the relationship of CR fluxes with sunspot number (correlation coefficient is ~ -0.9) to calculate the CR fluxes in the past.

References

J. Beer, J., S. Tobias, and N. Weiss, Solar Phys., 181, 237 (1998).

J. Beer et. all, The Sun as a Variable Star: Solar and Stellar Irradiance Variations (eds. J.M. Pap, C. Frahlich, H.S. Hudson and S.K. Solanki), Cambridge University Press, 291 (1994).

M. Stuiver, P. J. Reimer and T. F. Braziunas, Radiocarbon, 40, 1127 (1998).

Yu.I. Stozhkov, V.P. Okhlopkov, N.S. Svirzhevsky, Solar Physics, 224, 323 (2004).

I. Hansen et al., JGR, 104, No. D24, 30,997 (1999).


One of the main weather parameter is the average temperature of the atmosphere surface layer.

The temperature data were reduced to the values of dT = <dT> - T.

The time dependences of Be-10 and dT data and correlation between them are shown below.

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1850 1900 1950 2000

Year

T

, deg

ree

Cmonthly data

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020Year

T

, deg

. C

ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/anomalies/land_o_C.all

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

1875 1895 1915 1935 1955 1975 1995

Year

Tem

pera

t. ch

ange

s, 1

0*

0 C-0.4

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

Be-

10, 1

04 a

tom

s/g

Temperature

Be-10

The relationship between Be-10 concentration and dT surface temperature data. The correlation coefficient between these data is r = – 0.54. The slope is – 0.08 104 Be-10 atoms/g per 1 C. In relative values it is 7.6 % per 1 C.

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Year

T, d

egre

e-55

-45

-35

-25

-15

-5

5

15

C-1

4 co

ncen

trat

ion

Temperature yearly

C-14 yearly

The cosmic ray flux growth (decay) increases (decreases) thunderstorm activity: thundercloud formation, lightning number.

Kinetic energy of one cyclone is 1018 J and lifetime is about one week. A water amount in an average thundercloud with the thunderstorm activity of 10 lightning/min is W 2105 ton. In the process of such thundercloud formation a hidden heat of Q = k W 51014 J is released into the atmosphere (k = 2.256106 J/kg). The electric activity of an average thundercloud is 30 min. Simultaneously in the atmosphere there are 2000 thunderclouds. So, the total number of thunderclouds arising during the day equals to 105. They release into the atmosphere 51019 J/day.

The efficiency factor of the heat machine of the “Atmosphere” transforming the heat energy into the kinetic one is 2%. So, kinetic energy releasing in the atmosphere in the process of thundercloud formation is 1018 J/day. It is enough to produce one average cyclone per day. It follows that the essential changes of thunderstorm activity will change the weather on the Earth.

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1880 1920 1960 2000 2040 2080

Year

T

, deg

ree

Tsm = 25 months

There is a following link:

solar activity changes

modulation of cosmic ray flux

cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity changes weather and climate changes

Conclusion(1) Cosmic ray particles play a very important role in many atmospheric processes. They produce atmospheric unlike electric charges, which provide air conductivity and the operation of global electric circuit.

(2) Cosmic ray fluxes take part in the cloud and thundercloud formation process accelerating it and changing global cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity.

(3) The change of cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity influence the Earth’s survace temperature.

There is the following chain in the solar-terrestrial-weather-climate relationship: solar activity changes cosmic ray flux changes;cosmic ray flux changes cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity changes;cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity changes global temperature changes.

1. Skryabin N.G., Sokolov V.D., Novikov A.M. et al. (Yakutsk)

2. Veretennikova C., Dergachev V.A., Pudovkin M.I., Raspopov O.M., et al. (С-Pb)3. Shumilov O.I., Vashenyik E.V.

et al. (Apatity)

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Cosmic rays and processes in the atmosphere