Response of high-altitude clouds to the galactic cosmic ray cycles in
tropical regions
Abstract
Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are one of the possible mediators of the
solar influence on climate. However, the impacts of GCR on clouds and
climate systems are not fully understood. In this paper, we show that
the high-altitude clouds associated with deep convective activities are
responding to the decadal-scale cycles of GCRs and that the susceptible
areas are seasonally variable. Most notable responses were found in
August over tropical land areas, suggesting that the susceptivity of
clouds to GCRs depends on the depth of convective activities and the
abundance of aerosol precursor materials. Furthermore, following the
activation of high-altitude cloud formation, an increase in sea surface
temperature (SST) gradient was observed over the Pacific. Although the
response of SST to solar activity has mostly been discussed as mediated
by solar radiations, we propose that another mechanism is possible:
through the impact of GCRs on clouds and the resultant changes in
atmospheric circulations.