The global cooling we’ve been seeing in recent years (see here for many examples) is often explained as simply a blip on the graph. A La Nina here, a freak storm there, and things can can get jostled. Fair enough.

Except that the Sun continues to go through its cycles and having its effect on our atmosphere, in step with the temperatures we see. There are sunspot affects, and now more NOAA data showing that the Sun’s magnetic field is doing its part as well.

A few months ago, I had plotted the Average Geomagnetic Planetary Index (Ap) which is a measure of the solar magnetic field strength but also daily index determined from running averages of eight Ap index values. Call it a common yardstick (or meterstick) for solar magnetic activity.

[…]

As you can see, the Ap Index has continued along at the low level (slightly above zero) that was established during the drop in October 2005. As of June 2008, we now have 32 months of the Ap hovering around a value just slightly above zero, with occasional blips of noise.

[…]

…[I]t appears we continue to slide into a deeper than normal solar minima, one not seen in decades. Given the signs, I think we are about to embark upon a grand experiment, over which we have no control.

Click on the link for all the charts and graphs, and more striking details, including a correlation to sunspots.

[tags]environment,global warming,solar warming,Average Geomagnetic Planetary Index ,NOAA[/tags]

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Filed under: Doug • Environment • Global Warming

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