Solar Activity Has Increased In The Last Century

The energy output from the Sun has increased significantly during the
20th century, according to a new study.

Many studies have attempted to determine whether there is an upward
trend in the average magnitude of sunspots and solar flares over time,
but few firm conclusions have been reached.

Now, an international team of researchers led by Ilya Usoskin of the
Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory at the University of Oulu, Finland,
may have the answer.
They examined meteorites that had fallen to Earth over the past 240
years. By analyzing the amount of titanium 44, a radioactive isotope,
the team found a significant increase in the Sun's radioactive output
during the 20th century.

The Sun's impact on climate has only recently been investigated.
Recent studies show that an increase in solar output can cause short-
term changes in Earth's climate, but there is no firm evidence linking
solar activity with long-term climate effects.

The rise in solar activity at the beginning of the last century through the
1950s or so matches with the increase in global temperatures, Usoskin
said.
But the link doesn't hold up from about the 1970s to present.


SOURCE:
Space.com

Very interesting finding, I wonder what this means, if anything,
and what the chances of further increasing is.


Comments, Opinions?

[edit on 9/26/2006 by iori_komei]

Do you think this could have anything to do with global warming?

The rise in solar activity at the beginning of the last century through the 1950s or so matches with the increase in global temperatures, Usoskin said. But the link doesn't hold up from about the 1970s to present.

Emphasis added. This discovery will just refine models and give us a more accurate picture. This could be good news or really bad news. It all depends on what follow-up studies find.

As it said, it can create temporary changes, but no I don't think it has
anything to do with what we're currently experiencing, and to what
Sardion quoted above.

I am sorry to say this, but solar activity has been increasing for the last 4 billion years, and we do not know why, but our sun shines brighter and stronger with everyday that passes.
During the Cambrian period, the sun only worked at around 80% of the capacity it does now. Now that is a big difference.

look even i fthe sun is on it's way to blowing up, things happen very slowly in space, so when you hear the sun is gonna blow up very soon, don't think 10 years, don't think 100, don't think 1000, don't think 10k, maybe you should think 1mil-10mil years range, that would be the right guess. and in 1million years, we'd either have blown the earth apart with nukes, or have gone somewhere else.

Well our sun is actually perfect for us, since it is not to large, the larger the star the quicker it burns out, our sun will at least burn for another 5 billion years. Though we could theorise that some of the annihilations that happened on earth where caused by giant solar flares more than 10 times the size that what we have recorded so far.
This thought of thing could happen instantly and would reach earth in approximately 7 minutes.

look even i fthe sun is on it's way to blowing up, things happen very slowly in space

In comparson to what?

Space is near vaccuum, therefore there's less resistance,
which means things move faster in space.

If something happened with the sun, it'd take ten minutes for us to
know about it.

Originally posted by Tetragrammaton
This thought of thing could happen instantly and would reach earth in approximately 7 minutes.

Actually 7 minutes tops, but this is only for the photons to reach us, the impact or singulaity could happen instantly.

Solar activity is thought to be one of the factors that can influence climate. However solar activity goes through (relatively) short term changes (compared to other astronomic climate drivers).

A few months ago there was a report about Martian icecaps growing smaller. Related?

Originally posted by aaaaa
A few months ago there was a report about Martian icecaps growing smaller. Related?

Yeah, it could be related. It will be interesting to compare the data by using this method on Mars rocks. If we can get a solid timeline of Solar Irradience for the past century and if Mars is accurate up to presant day and Earth is only accurate up to the 70s, then you know that something is definately amiss. This could turn out to be the most solid evidence of Human Influence Climate Change yet(follow-up studies are necessary though)

Its been shown through radioactive isotope analysis that temperature on earth is directly related to sunspot activity. They found that during the "Little Ice Age" there was less sun spot activity. They analyze the amount of I think Berilium-60 or something in layers of ice from that time and see if there was more or less. Sunspot activity relates to the amount of Be60 given off and the amount collected. The sunspot activity has been rising recently which would example the rising temperature.

If you read the article, they are using a different method using titanium-44 which isn't affected by geological and environmental events. Berilium-60 is one of those methods which may become "tainted" over time. The models for that cooling period also break down at around the mid to late 20th century just like this model.