The Sun is the primary source of energy that drives the Earth's climate system. However, there are many myths and misconceptions around this topic.
Even though changes in solar activity do affect the Earth's climate, they cannot be linked to the global warming observed over the last few decades.Scientific observations since the 1970s have shown that solar activity has either been stable or decreased while average surface temperatures continue to rise which means that the current global warming is attributed to human sources.
Even though changes in solar activity do affect the Earth's climate, they cannot be linked to the global warming observed over the last few decades.Scientific observations since the 1970s have shown that solar activity has either been stable or decreased while average surface temperatures continue to rise which means that the current global warming is attributed to human sources.
2.7 W/m2
is average global radiative forcing. To compare: the increase in radiative forcing is estimated at 0.2 W/m2.
The question arises: what about the Little Ice Age, a period from from about 1300 to 1850, that partially coincided with the Maunder Minimum in solar activity? However, modern research shows that low solar activity was only one of the factors that affected the climate of the time.
Other processes include:
All these processes had a significant impact on climate cooling. The climate system also has a tremendous amount of inertia built in and is thus unaffected by instant variations in solar activity.
There is another interesting fact that negates the current impact of solar activity on climate change. Scientists have recalibrated sunspot numbers and updated the solar activity record over several centuries to find out that there actually was no increase in solar activity since 1700, which means that assumptions about an increase in the number of sunspots over the past century and their climate impact are false.
Scientists have long debated this issue. The newly corrected sunspot numbers now provide a homogenous record of solar activity dating back 400 years.
Read Nornickel’s 2024 Climate Report to find out more about global warming drivers.
Other processes include:
- increases in volcanic activity,
- changes in ocean currents,
- changes in atmospheric air circulation.
All these processes had a significant impact on climate cooling. The climate system also has a tremendous amount of inertia built in and is thus unaffected by instant variations in solar activity.
There is another interesting fact that negates the current impact of solar activity on climate change. Scientists have recalibrated sunspot numbers and updated the solar activity record over several centuries to find out that there actually was no increase in solar activity since 1700, which means that assumptions about an increase in the number of sunspots over the past century and their climate impact are false.
Scientists have long debated this issue. The newly corrected sunspot numbers now provide a homogenous record of solar activity dating back 400 years.
Read Nornickel’s 2024 Climate Report to find out more about global warming drivers.
Nornickel Photobank