Solar 'climate change' could cause rougher space weather
Monday, April 2, 2012 - 10:05
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- Recent research shows that the space age has coincided with a period of unusually high solar activity, called a grand maximum. Isotopes in ice sheets and tree rings tell us that this grand solar maximum is one of 24 during the last 9300 years and suggest the high levels of solar magnetic field seen over the space age will reduce in future. This decline will cause a reduction in sunspot numbers and explosive solar events, but those events that do take place could be more damaging. Graduate student Luke Barnard of the University of Reading presented new results on solar climate change in his paper at the National Astronomy Meeting in Manchester.