The Evolution of Coronal Holes over Three Solar Cycles Using the McIntosh Archive

• DOI: 10.1007/s11207-020-01731-y
• Publication Date: 2020-11-13T13:03:16Z
• Authors: Ian M. Hewins; Sarah E. Gibson; David F. Webb; Robert H. McFadden; Thomas A. Kuchar; Barbara A. Emery; Scott W. McIntosh
• Keywords: 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Using the McIntosh Archive of solar features, we analyze the evolution of coronal holes over more than three solar cycles. We demonstrate that coronal-hole positions and lifetimes change significantly on time scales from months to years, and that the pattern of these changes is clearly linked to the solar-activity cycle. We demonstrate that the lifetimes of low-latitude coronal holes are usually less than one rotation but may extend to almost three years. When plotted over time, the positions of low-latitude coronal holes that remain visible for over one rotation track the sunspot butterfly diagram in terms of their positions on the Sun over a solar cycle. Finally, we confirm that coronal holes do not in general rigidly rotate.