Analysis of the influence of solar cycles on meteorological variables in the central inter-Andean valley of Peru in the period 1986–2019

Abstract

Solar activity transmitted in energy reaches the Earth, affecting atmospheric temperature and other global weather variables. This research aims to analyze the relationship between solar cycles and meteorological variables in the Central Inter-Andean Valley during the period 1986–2019. Sunspot data were obtained from the Royal Observatory of Belgium for solar cycles 22, 23 and 24, and the meteorological variables of the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Peru from five stations that are distributed in the Valley. For the correlation of the variables, the nonparametric Spearman statistical test with a third-degree polynomial regression was applied. The results show that there is a decrease in the number of sunspots in cycle 24, and that the temperature varies by 3.85 °C in the study period. Of the five stations analyzed, four of them show that there is no relation between the variables and only in the station Viques there is an inverse relation for α<0.05 referring to the variables of maximum temperature and sunspots, obtaining a coefficient of determination of R2=0.619. Therefore, solar activity does not influence the climate variability of the study valley, and this is due to climate change due to the effects of anthropogenic activities.