Powerful solar proton events during the 23rd solar cycle and changes in the temperature of the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere

The effect powerful solar proton events have on changes in temperature in layers of the Earth’s atmosphere up to 41 km above the surface at the decrease stage of 23rd cycle of solar activity is investigated. It is found that during proton events, the temperature of the bottom layers of the Earth’s atmosphere (at altitudes up to 11 km) rises on average by 0.08 K, and for the upper layers (from 17 to 41 km) it falls on average by 0.18 K. For 3–8 days after the event, the observed effect is reversed. The changes in temperature at sea level and in the atmospheric layer at 14 km (the most likely position of the tropopause) do not display such a tendency. © 2017, Allerton Press, Inc.