Probing Climate Change in Greece with a 2m dish radio telescope

Abstract

We study the effect of solar activity on the climate in Greece. We search for correlations between solar and terrestrial indicators. The solar proxies which are representative of the activity of our star include the number of sunspots, the intensity of solar radiation, the radio flux at 10.7cm and the galactic cosmic rays. Earth’s weather indicators include six parameters, temperature, relative air humidity, wind direction and intensity, atmospheric pressure and precipitation. The solar data span several years starting from 1975 to 2005, including decades-long variations. The meteorological data come from 12 stations located in various parts of Greece. The main part of the research is the unique experiment in Greece which aims to continuously monitor and record the solar radio flux at 10.7 cm using a 2m paraboloid radio telescope (the pilot project of the THERMOpYlae Hellenic radio telescope).