Heliospheric consequences of solar activity in geophysical and interplanetary phenomena

We have done an analysis of the total solar magnetic flux, polar coronal hole area and sunspots. We investigate their long term evolution over several solar cycles and their possible relationship with interplanetary shocks, sudden storm commencements at earth and cosmic ray variations. Our results stress a physical connection between solar magnetic flux emergence and interplanetary medium dynamics, in particular the importance of coronal hole evolution in the structuring of the heliosphere.