Impact of strong and weak stratospheric polar vortices on geomagnetic semidiurnal solar and lunar tides

The impact of strong and weak stratospheric polar vortices on geomagnetic semidiurnal solar and lunar tides is investigated during Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters using ground-based magnetic field observations at the Huancayo (12.05 degrees S, 284.67 degrees E; magnetic latitude: 0.6 degrees S) equatorial observatory. We analyze the periods between December 15 and March 1 for 34 NH winters between 1980 and 2020 and find that the response of semidiurnal solar and lunar tides as seen in geomagnetic field depends on the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex.

During weak polar vortex events, geomagnetic semidiurnal solar and lunar tidal amplitudes show an average enhancement by similar to 25% and similar to 50%, respectively, which is consistent with the known results during sudden stratospheric warmings. When the stratospheric polar vortex is strong, geomagnetic semidiurnal solar and lunar tidal amplitudes decline on an average by similar to 15% and similar to 25%, respectively, during weak polar vortex events.