Tidal triggers and the predictability of solar activity

TL;DR

This paper explores how tidal forces from planets influence solar activity, suggesting that planetary alignments can predict solar phenomena like flares and storms, with implications for understanding solar cycle synchronization.

Contribution

It identifies a specific tidal period (~1.723 years) linked to planetary tides that correlates with solar activity cycles and recent solar events, proposing a tidal influence on solar variability.

Findings

The 1.723-year period matches planetary tidal beat frequencies.

Recent solar storms align with tidal maxima.

The Carrington event does not follow the tidal pattern.

Abstract

Magneto-Rossby waves in the solar tachocline are currently considered to be one of the main determinants of solar activity. In particular, they can give rise to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). The latter was recently shown to be dominated by a phase-stable period of around 1.7 years. By analyzing 72 ground-level enhancement (GLE) events and 37 S-flares, we determine that this period is close to 1.723 years. This, in turn, is the dominant beat between the periods of the spring tides of the tidally dominant planets Venus, Earth, and Jupiter, which are suspected to synchronize not only the QBO, but also the 11.07-year Schwabe cycle. We demonstrate that recent events, such as the solar storm of 2024 May 10 and the strong X-flare of 2026 February 1, align well with maxima of the tidal forcing. By contrast, the Carrington event (1959 September 1) does not fit this pattern.