To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (174813 ) 7/14/2021 7:36:01 PM From: sense Respond to The highest temperature I see recorded anywhere in China today is 35C in Xi'an... which is a whopping 4 degrees above the average high for this time of year... it being mid-July just now... China appears to have adequate cloud cover for now, to prevent any runaway solar heating... the clouds might tend to work to retain the heat nearer the surface, too... and bump the daily averages up a bit... but there are much higher highs happening now in Saudi Arabia and North Africa... where there is little cloud cover... K is up to 4 ... and we finally have solid evidence for the end of solar cycle 24... with a CME event observed. .. finally about to arrive here... THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: Earth is entering a dense and strongly magnetized stream of solar wind. We've been waiting for this stream to arrive for 3 days. Better late than never? South-pointing fields in the stream are opening a crack in Earth's magnetosphere, setting the stage for possible high-latitude auroras on July 14-15. Aurora alerts: SMS Text . COSMIC RAY UPDATE: New data from cosmic ray balloons show that Solar Cycle 25 is having an effect on Earth's atmosphere. Radiation levels in the air above our heads is decreasing as the new solar cycle gains strength. Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have been monitoring the situation for more than 6 years, and here are the latest data: The plot shows cosmic rays in the stratosphere, measured by radiation sensors we launch almost once a week from the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Recent flights confirm that radiation levels are decreasing for the first time since 2015. Cosmic rays come from deep space--mostly from supernova explosions. To reach the inner solar system, they have to fight their way through the sun's protective magnetic field. Once cosmic rays reach Earth, they crash into the top of our atmosphere, creating a spray of secondary radiation, which we measure using high-altitude balloons. Atmospheric radiation shot up in 2015-2019 because then- Solar Cycle 24 was decaying. The sun's magnetic field became weak and uncomplicated; cosmic rays from deep space found it easier to reach us. Our highest measurements in late 2019 correspond with NOAA's official date of Solar Minimum. Now the sun is waking up again. New Solar Cycle 25 is strengthening the sun's magnetic shield, and atmospheric radiation is dropping. Year Without A Summer ... and other instances... Sixth-Century Misery Tied to Not One, But Two, Volcanic Eruptions
