Solar Activity and Earth's Climate

DO SUNSPOTS AFFECT OUR CLIMATE?

This question has been a focus of scientific debate since the existence of sunspots was established in the early 17th century. Even today, however, the answer is not forthcoming; while there are valid reasons to believe that solar activity has some impact on the Earth's climate, the history of the subject shows that there have been many unsupported statements that over-estimate the effect of sunspots on climatic variations.

This updated and revised edition of "Solar Activity and Earth's Climate" introduces the reader to the subject of solar activity and the connection with the Earth's climate. It focuses on how knowledge about the solar cycle and Earth's climate is obtained, and provides an in depth discussion of observations, methods and the physics involved, together with the necessary statistics and analysis

Résumé

The main purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the subject of solar activity and the connection with Earth's climate. It commences with a brief review of the historical progress on the understanding of the solar-terrestrial connection and moves on to an objective scrutiny of the various hypothesis. The text focuses on how knowledge about the solar cycle and Earth's climate is obtained. It includes discussion of observations, methods and the physics involved, with the necessary statistics and analysis also provided, including an examination of empirical relations between sunspots and the Earth's climate. The author reviews plausible physical mechanisms involved in any links between the solar cycle and the Earth's climate, emphasizing the use of established scientific methods for testing hypothesized relationships.

Contenu
Solar observations.- The physical properties of the Sun.- Solar activity.- Earth's climate.- Solar activity and the stratosphere.- Solar magnetism and Earth's climate.- A review of solar-terrestrial studies.- Solar activity and regional climate variations.- Synthesis.