Posted on 06/14/2011 4:30:58 PM PDT by Salgak
Physicists say sunspot cycle is 'going into hibernation'
What may be the science story of the century is breaking this evening, as heavyweight US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity, which could mean that the Earth far from facing a global warming problem is actually headed into a mini Ice Age.
The announcement made on 14 June (18:00 UK time) comes from scientists at the US National Solar Observatory (NSO) and US Air Force Research Laboratory. Three different analyses of the Sun's recent behaviour all indicate that a period of unusually low solar activity may be about to begin.
The Sun normally follows an 11-year cycle of activity. The current cycle, Cycle 24, is now supposed to be ramping up towards maximum strength. Increased numbers of sunspots and other indications ought to be happening: but in fact results so far are most disappointing. Scientists at the NSO now suspect, based on data showing decades-long trends leading to this point, that Cycle 25 may not happen at all.
This could have major implications for the Earth's climate. According to a statement issued by the NSO, announcing the research:
An immediate question is whether this slowdown presages a second Maunder Minimum, a 70-year period with virtually no sunspots [which occurred] during 1645-1715.
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
Great time for our country to have the lowest grain reserves since the Great Dust Bowl period of the 1930s.
And our grain reserves will not be increasing thanks to that wonderful government program that turns food in to an inefficient and corrosive fuel at great expense.
Longer winters mean shorter growing seasons and smaller crops. Might be a good idea to lay in a few extra provisions for the lean years ahead.
save
If this is true, we are going to beg for Global Warming. Even a “mini” Ice Age would be incredibly damaging to our economy and food production. There would be famine, war and death in Third World countries. And it would all be a result of sun activity, not man. It would show us just how little we mean in the Earth’s climate history.
It's difficult to perceive the size of the Sun and the immense energy it unleashes every second. A million Earths can fit inside the Sun. The Sun's diameter is 1,000 X that of Earth. I would imagine a 1,000MT bomb would have the same effect as a grain of sand hitting Mt Everest.
LOL! Well, don't you know snow up to their asses IS a sign of globull warming!
Four legged good, two legged better!
Bring on the ice age, Earth, or bring some stronger freon!!!!
Not to worry. The hole in the ozone layer will kill us long before this happens.
Let me guess- global warming is the casue!
The left understands this. Progressives are never happy until millions are dead. They want every one to prepare for AGW when cooling is happening so we can bring it on sooner and cull the herd.
Whenever a progressives speaks the exact opposite is the truth...
Our burning of fossil fuel somehow affected the sun and now we will suffer.Nailed it! ROFLMAO...
Just about ready for winter here in my neck of the logs. Ah, the warmth of logs on the fire beats any heat found other than the Sun. Doing my part to keep the greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.
Looks like there were signals of today's news quite a while ago. From February, 2009:
Kow-um bonga!! How will we survive an ice-age and golbal warming at the same time? Remember in the 70’s this guy from ‘’Mission Impossible’’ was predicting a comming ice age, then fore his body cooled it was global warming some queerbait was predicting.
Hang onto your money, ignore these queers.
That tagline of yours reminds me of a picture of alGore and the carbon traders with forks over an actual brain.
Man, I love this site. Until your post I had not considered that possibility - I am embarrassed to say. Who would call them on it?
This article mentions a mini ice age. A real ice age is due. Could be a 1000 years but it will come. We have hard historical data to support that. It's just a matter of when.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.