Our quiet sun
I had
mentioned before that indications point to our sun entering a quiet time -- potentially something like another Maunder Minimum. Considering that our sun is the key driver for our climate, this could be serious.
Here is some more -- from
The Times of India:
Solar activity drops to 100-year low, puzzling scientists
Predictions that 2013 would see an upsurge in solar activity and geomagnetic storms disrupting power grids and communications systems have proved to be a false alarm. Instead, the current peak in the solar cycle is the weakest for a century.
Subdued solar activity has prompted controversial comparisons with the Maunder Minimum, which occurred between 1645 and 1715, when a prolonged absence of sunspots and other indicators of solar activity coincided with the coldest period in the last millennium.
The comparisons have sparked a furious exchange of views between observers who believe the planet could be on the brink of another period of cooling, and scientists who insist there is no evidence that temperatures are about to fall.
New Scientist magazine blasted those who predicted a mini ice age, opening a recent article on the surprising lack of sunspots this year with the bold declaration: "Those hoping that the sun could save us from climate change look set for disappointment".
I stopped reading New Scientist over ten years ago -- they and Scientific American used to be great publications but they have become bully-pulpits for many political scams. They would not recognize real science if it landed in their Erlenmeyer flask...
Posted by DaveH at September 19, 2013 4:17 PM