Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: syhprum on 27/12/2017 18:29:32

Title: Are we due for a Maunder minimum event in the next ten years ?
Post by: syhprum on 27/12/2017 18:29:32

The Daily Express not my best source for scientific information publishes a story that due to low sunspot activity in the next cycle we can expect sub normal temperatures for about ten years.
Is there any proven correlation between low sunspot levels and periods of low temperatures and has this prediction been published in any more reliable source ?

Title: Re: Are we due for a Maunder minimum event in the next ten years ?
Post by: evan_au on 27/12/2017 19:37:56

There were various competing theories about the solar activity over the last sunspot cycle.
Some were right, some were wrong; but all of them were vague.

The Sun's internal dynamo is chaotic (in the mathematical sense), and is at best semi-regular. It could flip into a different state. However, I recall that entering the Maunder Minimum was a trend seen over many sunspot cycles.

Earth's magnetic field is also driven by chaotic processes, but on much longer timescales.