Quiet sun puts Europe on ice

Quiet sun puts Europe on ice

www.newscientist.com

he research finds that low solar activity promotes the formation of giant kinks in the jet stream. These kinks can block warm westerly winds from reaching Europe, while allowing in winds from Arctic Siberia. When this happens in winter, northern Europe freezes, even though other, comparable regions of the globe may be experiencing unusually mild conditions.

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Lockwood and his colleagues took average winter temperatures from the Central England Temperature dataset, which extends back to 1659, and compared it with records of highs and lows in solar activity. They found that during years of low solar activity, winters in the UK were far more likely to be colder than average. "There is less than a 1 per cent probability that the result was obtained by chance,"

the effects of solar cycles have largely evaded the grasp of climate modellers. Lockwood found that when he removed 20th-century warming due to industrial emissions from his models, the statistical link between solar lows and extreme winters was stronger, suggesting the phenomenon is unrelated to global warming. But the sun undeniably has a big influence on weather systems:

So apparently it is the sun's intensity and its effect on the stratosphere that affects winter temperatures in Europe. We are in a diminishing solar cycle so winter temperatures are going down.

Evidence is that the sun's intensity may be more important than industrial gases in affecting winter temperatures.

www.newscientist.com
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This combined with volcanic ash and dust will not be good.

Definitely shades of the late 18th century going on.

reply to post by MikeboydUS

This combined with volcanic ash and dust will not be good. Definitely shades of the late 18th century going on.

Good point! The largest environmental disaster of the last 250 years was due to the Icelandic Volcanic Fissure. 10,000 people died and Europe as well as much of the world were fumigated by sulfur dioxide gas and ash!

Volcanic pollution: Effects on environment, ecosystems and health

Vulcanism, together with the evidence that the sun cycles may be more important than industrial gasses on our climate makes on wonder about why we are so concerned with Kyoto Accords, carbon trading, and Cap and Trade.

The argument can easily be made that we are headed toward a period of global cooling and record cold winters when the earth may need more rather than less CO2 to maintain temperatures and agricultural production.

I don't know but where I am its really quite warm, I even sat out last night until 11pm

reply to post by jumpingbeanz

I don't know but where I am its really quite warm, I even sat out last night until 11pm

Good point, jb!

What you and I perceive in terms of climate and esp. climate change is only subjective. What is really going on is subtle. Hopefully the scientific community can sort it out in a unbiased way.