Impact of Atmosphere Perturbation and Microcirculation on Tbilisi Thermal Regime

Abstract

This paper investigates the thermal peculiarities of Tbilisi in relation to geomagnetic activity and local microcirculation features. The geographical setting of Tbilisi gives rise to the well-known “Tbilisi Hole” phenomenon, which strongly influences the spatial distribution of air temperature within the city. Geomagnetic storms represent major disturbances of the Earth’s magnetosphere that occur when the solar wind interacts with the near-Earth space environment. The strongest storms are typically associated with solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and may take several days to reach the Earth. Geomagnetic indices constitute important parameters in weather forecasting methods. In this study, correlations between geomagnetic storms and air temperature in Tbilisi were identified using meteorological observations from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. The results indicate that sudden decreases in air temperature occur predominantly on dates associated with geomagnetic storm events. In addition to the influence of geomagnetic activity, a key recommendation for reducing thermal stress in Tbilisi is the expansion of green cover in the city centre and on surrounding slopes. Nature-based solutions represent the most effective approach for achieving this goal and include measures such as green roofs, vertical vegetation, green corridors, and geoparks.