Solar Wind Variations Related to Fluctuations of the North Atlantic Oscillation

A study on a possible solar wind interaction with the North AtlanticOscillation (NAO) is performed. Results are presented suggesting arelationship between the NAO index and the electric field strength E ofthe solar wind. A possible scenario for the suggested interaction isthat an electromagnetic disturbance is generated by the solar wind inthe global electric circuit of the ionosphere. This disturbance is thendynamically propagating downward through the atmosphere and subsequentlyinfluencing the large-scale pressure system in the North Atlanticregion. A relationship is also evident on longer time-scales when usingthe group sunspot number as a proxy for the solar wind. (Art. No. 1718)