Time variation of atmospheric pressure and circulation associated with temperature changes during Solar Proton Events

A decrease of the direct solar radiation at the Earths surface and associated variations of the altitudinal temperature profile observed during Solar Proton Events (SPE) discussed by Pudovkin and Babushkina, 1992b, Pudovkin and Veretenenko, 1994 are believed to be caused by the appearance of a layer which partially reflects solar radiation (by up to 10%) at an altitude of about 9 km. This layer is associated with the cirrus cloud that can be nucleated by Solar Cosmic Ray (SCR) particles (see Tinsley and Deen, 1991; Tinsley and Heelis, 1993). The calculated variations of the altitudinal profile of the air temperature in the high latitude atmosphere (Sodankyla, Finland, φ ≈ 67° N) after the SPE, caused by the appearance of this layer, are in good agreement with experimental data.The variations of the temperature profile (|ΔT| ? 2–3 K at z < 10 km) in the high latitude atmosphere during the SPE may produce a time variation of the meridional pressure profile, which in turn might cause a change of the zonal circulation. The expected changes of pressure at the Earths surface, the heights of constant pressure levels and the zonal circulation are shown to be similar to those observed, but which are smaller in magnitude. These quantitative differences can be associated with the oversimplification of the atmospheric model that we used.