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Sun Earth Connection s. Sun-Earth Connection. Space Station. High Altitude Air Flight. Human Exploration of Space. Exploring Beyond Earth. Scientific Understanding. GPS & HF, VHF Radio com. Global Change. Electric Power Grids. Enabling Science. Education/ Outreach.
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Sun Earth Connections Sun-Earth Connection Space Station High Altitude Air Flight Human Exploration of Space Exploring Beyond Earth ScientificUnderstanding GPS & HF, VHF Radio com Global Change Electric Power Grids Enabling Science Education/ Outreach Comsats & Commercial Use of Space Weather & Research S/C Space Hardware Design
Solar Variability Can Affect Terrestrial Climate Given the massive economic impact of small changes in climate, we should fully understand both natural and anthropogenic causes of global change.
Climate Record from Ice Core Data* “Temperature” “Solar Activity” Sunspot Number Year *From: M. Stuiver, P.M. Grootes, T.F. Braziunas, Quaternary Research 44, pp. 341-354, 1995)
Solar Variability Can Affect Terrestrial Climate Terrestrial Climate:“The Sun’s fingerprints are showing up all over the climate records. The 11- and 22- year sunspot cycles have turned up in other analyses of ocean temperatures and ice cores….” Science, March 8, 1996.
Cloud Cover vs Cosmic Ray Flux Cosmic Rays -- A Missing Link for Global Change? Science News, March 14,1998 Cosmic rays sow the seeds of cloud growth The lowly raindrop that splatters on the ground may have an origin far loftier than the clouds. According to a new atmospheric theory, cosmic rays streaming in from distant reaches of our galaxy help form one of the necessary ingredients of cloud droplets. The new theory suggest that ions play a central role in creating aerosols--the minute but important airborne particles that can serve as the cores of growing cloud droplets. “If this mechanism works, and I think it does, it would be a major source of aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere,” says Turco. Story based on article in March 1 issue of Geophysical Research Letters. 10.7 cm Radio Flux T vs C-R Flux T vs Irradiance From H. Svensmark, submitted to Phys. Rev Letters
What is the Source of Solar Brightness Variations? Recent Result:Background Solar Magnetic Field Doubled in Past Century Possible Implications: • Has solar irradiance also increased? How much? • What are implications for global warming? Research Tools: • SOHO and TRACE (now). • Solar-B (2004) - 5x finer spatial resolution than SOHO. - Order of magnitude better vector magnetic field measurements than existing instruments. • Solar Dynamics Obs (2007) Small bright magnetic areas
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE “Evidence suggests that changes of solar irradiance in recent centuries have provided a significant climate forcing and that the sun has been one of the principal causes of long-term climate change. During the past two decades the solar forcing has been much smaller than the climate forcing caused by increasing greenhouse gases. ------ I argue that moderate success in curtailing the growth of anthropogenic climate forcings could leave the sun playing a pivotal role in future climate change.” James E. Hansen, Space Sci. Rev. 94, 349-356,2000. Scientists Issue Dire Prediction on Warming Faster Climate Shift Portends Global Calamity This Century Washington Post January 23, 2001.