The Global Thermometer
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Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The only way to begin this discussion is, forgive me, a little bit of history.
From the Encyclopedia Britannica
Maunder minimum
solar phenomenon [1645–1715]
The Maunder minimum coincided with the coldest part of the “Little Ice Age” (c. 1500–1850) in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Thames River in England froze over during winter, Viking settlers abandoned Greenland, and Norwegian farmers demanded that the Danish king recompense them for lands occupied by advancing glaciers. The physical mechanism that explains how a drastic change in solar activity affects Earth’s climate is unknown, and a single episode, however suggestive, does not prove that lower sunspot numbers produce cooling. However, if real, the phenomenon may indicate that the Sun can influence the climate on Earth with even slight fluctuations.
In 1976 American astronomer John Allen Eddy did an extensive historical research study to investigate whether there was indeed a period of lower solar activity in the period that Maunder had claimed lasted from about 1645-1715. His studies and carbon 14 analysis of tree rings showed there was indeed a period of extremely low sunspot activity during that time. He also found that there was in addition, another period of diminished solar activity from 1450 until 1540 which he named the Spörer minimum for the astronomer who had previously observed it. There is also the the recognized Dalton minimum another period of low solar activity which lasted from 1790 until 1830. It is noteworthy that these three recognized and documented periods of lower than usual solar activity correspond and comprise the greater portion of what is still known as the "Little Ice Age" which lasted from 1500 until 1850.
Also well documented and historically verified are periods of unusual warmth known as the Roman Warm Period from approximately 250 BC to AD 400. This was followed, again historically verified period of a warmer climate known as the Medieval Warm Period which lasted from 900 until 1250. Interestingly, the time between these to warm periods we call the Dark Ages, A time of famine, pestilence, disease and death that lasted from 476 until 800.
All of this is well known, documented and of great interest to scientist, at least it was, until the religion of carbon dioxide madness infested our world. Since that new Dark Age settled upon us, these various events in time have been minimized by the simple trick of referring to them to as Northern Hemisphere events. Warmist can get away with this obfuscation, simply because the history of the world has mostly been observed and recorded in the Northern Hemisphere. When you actually look at the scientific studies, the record is clear that these were in fact global events. We will discuss this more, when we look into the great deceptions of climate change.
The point however is that there have been periods of warmth and cold throughout recorded history, all of which could have had nothing to do with carbon dioxide. I always find it interesting that when the warmist talk about the pre-industrial carbon dioxide levels which predated our modern warming trend, they fail to mention what they are actually talking about is also the "Little Ice Age."
Prior to the designation of CO2 as the source for all weather and climate occurrences, it was always presumed that our climate, whether cold or hot was tied to the Sun. This is only logical since all of our understanding having to do with changes in temperature is controlled by the Sun. Day and night, the seasons, the latitude where you are located are all obviously generated by the Sun as to what temperatures will be in any given location at any given time.
The scientific dilemma has been that there was no simple correlation for global temperature fluctuations and the Sun. Even though it has been recognized for some time that lower solar activity seemed to bring about lower temperatures, (see above) the question was how? After all just because the Sun is not active does not mean that the Sun is less hot or Earth is receiving less of its heat. No, we count on the Sun maintaining a constant and undiminished source of heat and we would know pretty damned quick if that changed. So how could changes in the Sun's activity change our temperature here on Earth?
Unfortunately for mankind, the answer to that question, of how solar activity affected climate began to be understood and explained just as the Dark Age of carbon dioxide vilification was taking hold of the political and scientific world. What has become known as the Svensmark Affect named for the Henrik Svensmark the Danish physicist who first proposed the original hypothesis.
To understand this amazing theory, you must first know about cosmic rays which
are high energy particles which arrive from space to the outer layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, ie from stars, from supernovae explosions of stars and from sources which are currently unknown to us.
These high energy particles, also called primary particles, do not reach ground level because they collide with air molecules high up in the atmosphere. Their collisions result in a shower of lower energy particles, some of which reach the ground and can be detected.
Cosmic rays are charged particles, mostly protons or other small atomic nuclei, moving at speeds close to the speed of light. It is amazing to think that a single cosmic ray may have been travelling across space for millions of years before it reached the Earth.
The existence of cosmic rays has been known since the early twentieth century but it wasn't until Henrik Svensmark and his team of scientist showed that cosmic rays may have more than just an interesting past that the full implications began to be explored. These Danish scientist hypothesized that these shower of cosmic rays making contact with aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere might actually seed clouds.
To test their theory they built a large test chamber, inserted aerosols such as fine particles of dust, ice and salt which would be found in the atmosphere and from which, combined with the all important water vapor clouds are formed. They then ran electrically charged particles through the chamber, duplicating the affect of cosmic rays as they enter the atmosphere and were able to create small clouds in the chamber.
In the years since larger and larger experiments have been conducted with more advanced equipment under the auspices of CERN known as CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) to test their theory. Over the years they have proven that indeed cosmic rays are a significant element in cloud formation and/or seeding. Unfortunately, given the political climate surrounding the climate change issue, little is done to actually promote this incredible development and is mostly ignored in mainstream scientific circles.
What does this have to do with the sun you are probably asking. A great deal as it turns out. The second part of the theory is the most intriguing and when you think about it, the most logical explanation for Earth's history of changing temperatures.
When the Sun is active, meaning a high volume of Sun Spots and solar flares it sends this energy out into our solar system in what we refer to as solar winds. This is not actually wind of course, but rather streams of charged particles released from the Sun's upper atmosphere known as its corona. The key here is that the more active the Sun, the stronger these winds are and the further out they flow from the Sun. The reverse is also true, the less active the Sun the weaker the solar winds are.
The important nature of these winds, as it relates to to our climate, is that these solar winds basically block cosmic rays from reaching Earth. Therefore when the Sun is active, fewer cosmic rays reach Earth's atmosphere thus less clouds, when the Sun is less active more cosmic rays reach our atmosphere and thus more clouds.
Active Sun=fewer cosmic rays=fewer clouds=warmer climate
Dormant Sun=increased cosmic rays=increased clouds=colder climate.
This really is not pure speculation anymore, this amazing connection is a far more viable theory than the so called enhanced greenhouse effect which has more holes in it than AR-15 practice target. The scientific community, of course, has a vested interest in downplaying the importance of Svensmark's discovery in order to keep their climate change money train rolling along. Politicians, those that promote climate doom, have even less of a reason to pursue what amounts to the truth, or at the very least a reasonable alternative to the prevailing "orthodoxy."
The narrative has been set and it is now written in stone, well at least until the next Little Ice Age comes cascading down on a totally unprepared planet if we should experience another Maunder minimum. Which, by the way, may be just around the corner.
Move south young man, move south.
