Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Bill.D.Katt. on 28/03/2012 18:55:06

Title: Does solar magnetism affect our atmosphere?
Post by: Bill.D.Katt. on 28/03/2012 18:55:06

I was wondering if the changing in the magnetic poles of our sun (which happens often on an astronomic scale) has an affect on the chemistry of our atmosphere. More specifically would it have an affect on the amount of carbon 14?

Title: Re: Does solar magnetism affect our atmosphere?
Post by: CliffordK on 28/03/2012 23:08:57

What happens with the solar cycles is that during solar maxima, the sun tends to blow more ions towards the Earth (solar storms).  Certainly the solar storms, and I believe also the solar winds decrease during the solar minima.

These interact with our atmosphere to create Auroras (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)).

Most of the ¹⁴C doesn't come from the sun, but is manufactured here on Earth by cosmic rays, and high energy particles from the sun smashing into Nitrogen atoms displace a proton with a neutron.

Solar variation during the decadal solar cycles, will affect the ¹⁴C levels, and presumably also during longer term solar variation.

Temperature changes will also affect the absorption/evaporation of various isotopes in the oceans, and thus also change the isotopes in the atmosphere.