Solar Activity and Climate Change

December 2013

Solar Activity and Climate Change

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131222161813.htm

     A new scientific study shows the climate change has not been strongly influenced by variations in heat from the sun contrary to popular belief. This new discovery discounts the thought that lengthy periods of warm and cold weather in the past might have been caused by intermittent fluctuations in solar activity.

     Research investigating the causes of climate change in the northern hemisphere over the past 1000 years has shown that until the year 1800, the leader of periodic changes in climate was volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions have a tendency to prevent sunlight from reaching Earth, causing cool, drier weather. But since 1900, greenhouse gases have been the primary cause of climate change. These findings prove that periods of low sun activity should not be expected to have a large impact on temperatures on Earth and should additionally help climate forecasting.

     

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh continued the study using records of past temperatures. They compared this data record with computer-based models of past climate, highlighting all changes in the sun. “They found that their model of weak changes in the sun gave the best correlation with temperature records, indicating that solar activity has had a minimal impact on temperature in the past millennium.”