[summer '85]

A report was made by Dr Evald Septer of the Magnetical and Meteorological Observatory, Irkutsk in the Meteorologische Zeitschrift of June 1926 on the connection between the relative number of sunspots and the frequency of thunderstorms in Siberia.

The annual average of the number of days with thunder at 229 stations between latitudes 71N and 43N and longitudes of 59.5 and 149.5E over a period of 37 years from 1888 to 1924. This period included three maxima and four minima.

The means of nine years about the three maxima and the twelve years grouped about the four minima gave

Sunspot maxima: 73.0
Thunderstorms: 18.4

Sunspot minima: 7.1
Thunderstorms: 10.6

A correlation coefficient of +0.88

Regress equation: number of thunderstorms = 10.4 + 0.11 (relative sunspot number)

[Dave K]

So that's where PC gets his notions from ;)

[Bazmundo]

Siberia's a big place - did he really count all the thunderstorms?

[Fujita5]

Hmm... June 1926. So I take it he wasn't using satellite obs and sferic location detection then!!!

Would be a good experiment to repeat now, if it hasn't already been done....

[AndrewJM]

Are we at a maxima or minima at present? There have been few thunderstorms recently.

[Paulo]

We are just starting to come out of the deepest sunspot minimum since 1913. It's difficult to see a clear correlation for the UK though, but has anyone ever tried?

[summer '85]

This paper from 1874 by Charles Meldrum on the correlation between cyclones and sunspots

Catalogue of cyclones experienced in the Indian Ocean from 1847 to 1873 indicated that period the number of cyclones in the spave between the equator and 34S and the meridans 40E and 110E was much greater in the years of maximum than in the years of minimum sunspot frequency. The author shows that not only the number of cyclones , but their duration, extent and energy were also much greater in the former than in the latter years and there is a strong probability that cyclone fluctation is consistent with a similar fluctation of the rainfall over the globe generally.

[PaulKn]

I think that at some point or other someone correlated the price of wheat or corn with sunspot activity. If, as is perhaps suspected, solar activity affects the stratosphere/polar vortex, then one would expect an effect on the troposphere at times too.

[HSEA2]

PaulKn said:

I think that at some point or other someone correlated the price of wheat or corn with sunspot activity. If, as is perhaps suspected, solar activity affects the stratosphere/polar vortex, then one would expect an effect on the troposphere at times too.

Or recessions




http://www.michaelma...man_History.htm

[Dave K]

^ ^ heh, nice one Nick, I saw a spoof one for the number of Republicans in Congress

PaulKn said:

I think that at some point or other someone correlated the price of wheat or corn with sunspot activity. If, as is perhaps suspected, solar activity affects the stratosphere/polar vortex, then one would expect an effect on the troposphere at times too.

This one is for corn yields, though how you account for such things as the effects of disease/viral outbreaks or pests vs new pesticides...