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To: Bearcatbob who wrote (4150)	1/11/2009 2:08:48 PM
From: Eric	Respond to of 86356

Bob I'll post some stuff on sunspots when I have some time. I have actively followed them and done a lot of research on the subject for almost 40 years since I became a Radio Amateur in high school in the late 60's. I was very interested in high frequency radio propagation in the attempt to bounce radio signals around the earth off the ionosphere which is mostly energized by sunspots. Of course that also affects the upper atmosphere. There has been a lot of discussion recently about our lack of sunspots. We are at solar minimum right now and it looks like the next cycle is starting a little bit late but this has been experienced before. We have a ways to go yet before we can declare another Maunder Minimum. A number of solar experts actually think this next cycle will be very strong compared to previous cycles. We should know in about the next 6 to 10 months. Eric

To: Bearcatbob who wrote (4150)	1/12/2009 11:58:00 AM
From: RetiredNow	Respond to of 86356

If we post it, will you actually read it this time? You'll notice, the below is from reputable sources. solar-center.stanford.edu While a component of recent global warming may have been caused by the increased solar activity of the last solar cycle, that component was very small compared to the effects of additional greenhouse gases. According to a NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) press release, "...the solar increases do not have the ability to cause large global temperature increases...greenhouse gases are indeed playing the dominant role..." The Sun is once again less bright as we approach solar minimum, yet global warming continues. oar.noaa.gov Even the climate changes of the 20th century may have a significant solar component. Figure 3 [above] shows comparisons of globally averaged temperature and solar activity. Many scientists find that these correlations are convincing evidence that the sun has contributed to the global warming of the 20th century. Some say that as much as 1/3 of the global warming may be the result of an increase in solar energy. So, while it is becoming clear that human activity is changing the climate today, solar activity may also be contributing to climate change and probably changed the climate in the past. In order to accurately predict how future human activities will change the climate, it is critical to understand the variability of the natural system. Therefore, even though solar activity may not be the dominant factor in global warming, it is important enough that understanding how the climate responds to small changes in solar irradiance will help scientists predict the climate changes caused by human activity.

To: Bearcatbob who wrote (4150)	1/12/2009 12:00:44 PM
From: RetiredNow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86356

Link Between Solar Cycle and Climate is Blowin' in the Wind giss.nasa.gov Apr. 8, 1999 Researchers have found that the variations in the energy given off from the sun effect the Earth's wind patterns and thus the climate of the planet, according to results of a new study published in the April 9 issue of Science. For decades, scientists have tried to understand the link between winds and temperature and the sun and its cycles. There were tell-tale signs of a connection. For instance, the Little Ice Age recorded in Europe between 1550 and 1700 happened during a time of very low solar activity. But how the sun and climate were linked continued to elude researchers. According to Drew Shindell, a climate researcher from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, NY, and lead author of the new study, a key piece of the puzzle was missing. Previous studies neglected to take into account the effects of increased solar activity on the ozone layer or the complex chemistry of the upper atmosphere where most of the high-energy radiation, including ultra-violet radiation (the kind responsible for creating the ozone layer) gets absorbed. "When we added the upper atmosphere's chemistry into our climate model, we found that during a solar maximum major climate changes occur in North America." The changes, according to Shindell, are caused by stronger westerly winds. Changes also occur in wind speeds and directions all over the Earthâ€™s surface. "Solar variability changes the distribution of energy," said Shindell. "Over an 11-year solar cycle, the total amount of energy has not changed very much. But where the energy goes changes as wind speeds and directions change." During the sunâ€™s 11-year cycle, from a solar maximum to a solar minimum, the energy released by the sun changes by only about a tenth of a percent. When the solar cycle is at a maximum, it puts out a larger percentage of high-energy radiation, which increases the amount of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The increased ozone warms the upper atmosphere and the warm air affects winds all the way from the stratosphere (that region of the atmosphere that extends from about 6 to 30 miles high) to the Earth's surface. "The change in wind strength and direction creates different climate patterns around the globe," said Shindell. According to Shindell, the new study also confirms that changing levels of energy from the sun are not a major cause of global warming. Many scientists have argued that the radiation change in a solar cycle — an increase of two to three tenths of a percent over the 20th century — are not strong enough to account for the observed surface temperature increases. The GISS model agrees that the solar increases do not have the ability to cause large global temperature increases, leading Shindell to conclude that greenhouse gasses are indeed playing the dominant role. The general circulation model used in the study included solar radiation data from NASA's Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite, launched in 1991. With data from UARS, which was used to calculate ozone changes, scientists have good measurements of how much radiation the sun puts out, increasing the accuracy of the new model. References Shindell, D., D. Rind, N. Balachandran, J. Lean, and P. Lonergan 1999. Solar cycle variability, ozone, and climate. Science 284, 305-308.