Posted on 09/15/2010 9:38:58 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Scientists studying sunspots for the past 2 decades have concluded that the magnetic field that triggers their formation has been steadily declining. If the current trend continues, by 2016 the sun's face may become spotless and remain that way for decades—a phenomenon that in the 17th century coincided with a prolonged period of cooling on Earth.
Sunspots appear when upwellings of the sun's magnetic field trap ionized plasma—or electrically charged, superheated gas—on the surface. Normally, the gas would release its heat and sink back below the surface, but the magnetic field inhibits this process. From Earth, the relatively cool surface gas looks like a dark blemish on the sun.
...[S]cientists have long known that the sun goes through an 11-year cycle, in which the number of sunspots spikes during a period called the solar maximum and drops—sometimes to zero—during a time of inactivity called the solar minimum.
The last solar minimum should have ended last year, but something peculiar has been happening. Although solar minimums normally last about 16 months, the current one has stretched over 26 months—the longest in a century. One reason...is that the magnetic field strength of sunspots appears to be waning.
Since 1990, solar astronomers Matthew Penn and William Livingston...have been studying the magnetic strength of sunspots....Penn and Livingston conclude that the average magnetic field strength of sunspots has declined from about 2700 gauss—the average strength of Earth's field is less than 1 gauss—to about 2000 gauss. The reasons for the decrease are not clearly understood, but if the trend continues, sunspot field strength will drop to 1500 gauss by as early as 2016. Because 1500 gauss is the minimum required to produce sunspots, Livingston says, at that level they would no longer be possible.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sciencemag.org ...
Ping!
That's what happened to me after puberty.
This proves more than ever that we need Cap’n’Tax and, in fact, more and higher taxes of every kind.
(Doesn’t it?)
LOL!
Or it oscillates with a long cycle time, and not all the idiot reporters are in the AGW camp
Looks like that hockey stick will come in handy after all.
This is not good. By 2026, famine may be widespread.
I guess the Sun didn’t get the word that we have a “consensus” it will get warmer. No more funding or published articles for you, Sol.
What? The earth has had ice ages in the past? Along with warm periods? Who knew?
Good one.
We’re in for a whole lot of hurtin’ . . .
The question now is how do we use this information to redistribute global wealth?
I wonder if this works on acne!
Hunh? I thought there was some report where we’ll get smacked with a “big one” in 2012 equal to 100 million megaton atomic bombs or something like that...
Newton’s Second Law of Thermodynamics applies to the planet, and probably will happen quite suddenly. Perhaps that is why the Aztec calendar ended with 2012.
“may”. The been theorized for years now. So the question remains, are we in a new solar maximum period or not?!
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