SPP 1176:  Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth-System (CAWSES)

• Subject Area: Geosciences ; Physics
• Term: from 2005 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5472167

The aim of the Priority Programme is a better understanding of the influence of the sun on the terrestrial atmosphere on time scales from hours to centuries. The focus will be on scientific problems which deal with important aspects of the solar terrestrial system. The sun influences the atmosphere through the absorption of radiation and particles, through the generation and modification of photochemically active trace gases, and through the generation of waves, including tides. The physical and chemical processes involved are coupled through various complicated mechanisms. Although the total solar radiation fluctuates by less then 0.1 percent the solar impact on the terrestrial atmosphere can be significant, in particular in the upper atmosphere where the highly variable energetic part of the solar spectrum is absorbed. A local disturbance can be distributed over large vertical and horizontal distances through various coupling mechanisms. The medium and long-term variation of solar activity and its influence on the terrestrial atmosphere is also important to assess the importance of natural processes in long-term trends in comparison with anthropogenic influences.
The following topics are investigated in the scope of this Priority Programme:
-- characterisation of the variability of solar forcing by electromagnetic radiation and by particle impact
-- analysis of solar forcing impact on the thermal, dynamical, electro-dynamical, and compositional structure of the atmosphere in the height range from the upper troposphere to the lower thermosphere and on time scales from hours to centuries. This includes an investigation of neutral gas, plasma, and aerosols
-- investigation of the coupling mechanisms in the atmosphere, including transport of trace gases, and the generation, propagation and destruction of waves (e.g., planetary waves, gravity waves, tides, turbulence)
-- identification and understanding of solar signals in atmospheric parameters which are not directly influenced by the sun, including a study of the relevant physical and photochemical processes
-- comparison of solar induced long-term variations with anthropogenic climate change. The focus will be on heights above the troposphere
-- laboratory studies of physical processes which are relevant for the coupling mechanisms mentioned aboveProjects are supported which contribute by experimental and/or theoretical (model) investigations to one or more scientific topics outlined above.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• International Connection: Belarus, United Kingdom, USA

Projects

• Application as coordinator of the CAWSES priority programme (Applicant Lübken, Franz-Josef )
• Atmospheric coupling by gravity waves:climatology of gravity wave activity, mesopheric turbulence and their relations to solar activity (Applicant Singer, Werner )
• Cimatology of planetary waves seen in ionospheric F-region pertubations using TEC of GPS (CTW-TEC) (Applicant Jacobi, Christoph )
• Cimatology of planetary waves seen in ionospheric F-region pertubations using TEC of GPS (CTW-TEC) (Applicant Jakowski, Norbert )
• Data assimilation and model calculations to study chemistry climate interactions and solar impact in the polar stratosphere - Phase 2 (DACCS) (Applicants Burrows, John Philip ;  Langematz, Ulrike )
• Detection of electrically charged clouds and aerosols by means of second harmonic generation (SHG) at the droplet-air interface (Applicant Stelmaszczyk, Kamil )
• Energetic particle transport in the atmosphere and environmental of the Earth, cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, heliospheric and atmospheric transport (Applicant Heber, Bernd )
• Gravitiy wave coupling processes and their decadal variation (Applicant Ern, Manfred )
• Gravitiy wave coupling processes and their decadal variation (Applicant Jacobi, Christoph )
• Gravitiy wave coupling processes and their decadal variation (Applicant Wickert, Jens )
• Gravity wave Ray tracing Parameterization and its Effects in Solar cycle modeling (GRAPES) (Applicant Preuße, Peter )
• Gravity Waves - Experimental Constraints, Intercomparison and Effects of the Sun (Applicant Ern, Manfred )
• Impact of planetary waves and solar proton events on long-term variations of noctilucent clouds II (Applicant von Savigny, Ph.D., Christian )
• Influence of internal gravity waves on the thermosphere above the turbopause (Applicant Hartogh, Paul )
• Influence of irregular temperature variations caused by gravity waves on the infrared radiative cooling/heating of the mesosphere/lower termosphere (Applicant Pauldrach, Adalbert Wilhelm Alois )
• Influence of the mean circulation on gravity wave generation (Applicant Hartogh, Paul )
• Influence of the solar radiation on the diurnal and seasonal variability of 0³ and H²0 in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere based on continuous observations in the tropics and high Arctic (Applicants Hochschild, Gerd ;  Notholt, Justus )
• Influence of the solar radiation on the diurnal and seasonal variability of O3 and H2O in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere based on continuous observations in the tropics and high Arctic (Applicant Hochschild, Gerd )
• Investigation of nonmigrating thermospheric tidal waves in density and wind as observed by CHAMP (Applicant Lühr, Hermann )
• Investigation of solar UV irradiance variation on hourly to decadal time scales and its impact on middle atmospheric ozone and ozone-climate interaction (Applicant Weber, Mark )
• Investigation of the influence of charged aerosol particles on the scattering of radar waves using EISCAT (Applicant Rapp, Markus )
• Investigations of the solar influence on middle atmospheric water vapour and ozone during the last solar cycle - analysis of the MPS data set (Applicant Hartogh, Paul )
• Ionisation of the Middle Atmosphere by Energetic Particles (Applicant Kallenrode, May-Britt )
• Laboratory experiments on the microphysics of electrified cloud droplets (Applicant Leisner, Thomas )
• Middle Atmosphere NOx variations and solar UV VAriability: Examples to study mesospheric/stratospheric coupling and the impact of solar variability on stratospheric ozone (Applicant Reddmann, Thomas )
• Middle Atmosphere NOx variations and solar UV VAriability: Examples to study mesospheric/stratospheric coupling and the impact of solar variability on stratospheric ozone (Applicant Konopka, Paul )
• Modelling and Observation of Sporadic E Layers and their dependence on upper atmospheric dynamics (Applicant Wickert, Jens )
• Models of solar total and spectral irradiance variability of relevance for climate studies (Applicant Solanki, Sami K. )
• Nonmigrating tidal coupling from the MLT region into the ionosphere and upper thermosphere (Applicant Lühr, Hermann )
• Nonmigrating tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere: variability and aeronomic implications- Phase III (Applicant Koppmann, Ralf )
• Observation and modelling of the upper atmospheric density and winds and their dependence on the geomagnetic conditions (Applicant Lühr, Hermann )
• Project on Solar Effects on Chemistry and Climate Including Ocean Interactions (ProSECCO) (Applicant Langematz, Ulrike )
• Project on Solar Effects on Chemistry and Climate Including Ocean Interactions (ProSECCO) (Applicant Brühl, Christoph )
• Response of Atomic Hydrogen and Oxygen to Solar Radiation Changes: Measurements and Simulations (Applicant Riese, Martin )
• Satellite and model studies of galactic cosmic rays and clouds, modulated by solar activity (Applicant Schiller, Cornelius )
• Solar contribution to the variability of middle atmosphere solar tides in their interaction with zonal-mean-flow variations, planetary waves and gravity waves (Applicant Achatz, Ulrich )
• Solar variability and trend effects in layers and trace gases in the upper atmosphere (SOLEIL) (Applicant Lübken, Franz-Josef )
• Solar variability Impacts on the chemical Composition of the Middle Atmosphere: measurements and model predictions (SICMA III) (Applicant Sinnhuber, Miriam )
• Support proposal for refurbishment and replacement of a micorwave spectrometer to be used in the priority programme CAWSES (Applicant Lübken, Franz-Josef )
• Temperature Variations on Extreme Time Scales (Applicant Offermann, Dirk )
• The Atmospheric Response to Solar Variability: Simulations with a 3D Particle Precipitation Model for the Entire Atmosphere (Applicant Kallenrode, May-Britt )
• The Atmospheric Response to Solar Variability: Simulations with a General Circulation and Chemistry Model for the Entire Atmosphere (Applicant Schmidt, Hauke )
• The Atmospheric Response to Solar Variability: Simulations with a General Circulation and Chemistry Model for the Entire Atmosphere (Applicant Kallenrode, May-Britt )
• The Influence of Solar Radiation Perturbations on the Coupling of Atmospheric Layers - SORACAL (Applicants Kirchner, Ingo ;  Peters, Dieter H.W. )
• Time-dependent transport of energetic particles in the atmosphere, magnetosphere and heliosphere, reconstruction of the long-term flux heliospheric environment, atmospheric ionisation, production of neutrons and cosmogenic isotopes (Applicants Fichtner, Horst ;  Heber, Bernd )
• Towards an All-Inclusive Earth System model (TIES): Merging lower, middle and upper atmospheric models to study solar effects (Applicant Baumgärtner, Andreas )
• Trace gas observations for the investigation of mean age and stratospheric transport under the influence of solar variability and long term change (Applicant Stiller, Gabriele P. )
• Trace gas observations for the investigation of mean age and stratospheric transport under the influence of solar variability and long term change- part III (Applicant Stiller, Gabriele P. )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Franz-Josef Lübken