Investigating a solar activity effect on cloud cover over Baghdad city

Abstract EN

Cloud cover is an important factor controlling the way that radiation is absorbed and reflected by the earth.

Increases in cloudiness enhance global albedo, thus tending to cool the surface and the effect on earth's radiation characteristics and the climate in general, thus tending to global warming and climate changes.

In this work, is an attempt to investigate and understand the impact of solar activity on cloud cover amount over Baghdad city in 1983-2009 by analyzing the monthly values of cloud cover amount (low, mid-level, high and total), galactic cosmic rays, and the solar Modulation potential in 1983−2009, and use package Climate Data Operators for this purpose.

The first object of this study was to determine the solar activity index (the Solar Modulation Potential SMP) instead of (galactic cosmic rays GCR), SMP was selected as an indicator of solar activity with a correlation coefficient (0.8) with GCR.

The second object of our study was to investigate the relationship between the solar modulation potential (solar activity index) and cloud cover amount over Baghdad city for the period 1983−2009.

The results showed that there is a relationship between the solar modulation potential and cloud cover amount for the period of study with the highest coefficient of correlation was (R= -0.71 ± 0.22) between total cloud cover amount and SMP, and the lowest correlation coefficient was (R= -0.36 ± 0.34) for the high cloud cover amount with SMP.

Therefore, we can assume that the solar activity has an impact on the cloud cover amount over Baghdad city.