The influence of the 11-year sunspot cycle on the atmospheric circulation during winter

Based on reanalysis monthly data and sunspot cycle index, the influences of the 11-year sunspot cycle (SSC) in stratospheric and tropospheric circulation are investigated by using statistical analysis and dynamical diagnosis during northern winter (November to March). According to the east or west phase of stratospheric equatorial zonal wind quasi biennial oscillation (QBO), we've analyzed the solar effects in different situations. In east QBO phases, the solar effects focus on the equatorial upper stratosphere and south hemispheric stratosphere, where enhanced solar ultraviolet radiations heat up the stratospheric ozone layer, leading to the temperature increase apparently; the solar maxima events reinforce the south stratospheric Brewer-Dobson circulation, and result in the south polar areas warming; planetary wave plays a significant role in north high latitudes regions, hence the solar cycle signals could be nearly neglected. In west QBO phases, solar effects are more important in north hemisphere. In early winter, solar maxima effects are not only warming the equatorial stratospheric ozone, but also restraining the northern atmospheric B-D circulation, leading to the equatorial stratospheric temperature increase and zonal wind gradient change, hence the two waveguides of planetary wave are altered after those processes. In late winter, the polar waveguide of planetary wave is enhanced by solar effects and the B-D circulation is recovered gradually. After these procedures the temperature of northern polar stratosphere starts to increase conspicuously, accompanying by the decrease of equatorial zonal temperature.