Newly discovered interactions between the Sun and the Earth affect our climate.
Click on image for full size
Image Courtesy of UCAR
Scientists Discover Connections among the Solar Cycle, the Stratosphere and the Ocean
News story originally written on August 27, 2009
Scientists used information they got from over a 100 years of weather observations and from three powerful computer models to try and answer a very difficult question about the weather. They wanted to know why the 11-year solar cycle causes major changes in weather patterns on Earth.
They learned that the Sun impacts one of the layers of the atmosphere called the stratosphere and parts of the ocean. The stratosphere and the Pacific Ocean work together to create some weather patterns on the Earth. Sunspots send solar energy to the Earth, and when these sunspots are very active, there will be stronger winds and rainfall in some parts of the Earth, ocean currents can change. These things can affect the climate in some places on Earth.
This new study will help scientists use information they have about the Sun to predict how the regional climate patterns on Earth might change over the next ten or twenty years.
You might also be interested in:
Sunspots are dark spots on the Sun. They may look small, but they are actually as bigas a planet like Earth or Mars! Sunspots are "dark" because they are colder than the areas around them. Of course, they
...more
The water at the ocean surface is moved by powerful wind. The wind is able to move the top 400 meters of the ocean. This moving water is called surface ocean currents. Surface ocean currents form large
...more
Scientists have learned that Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, has erupted in the past due to the mixing of two different types of magma. Adam Kent, a geologist at Oregon State University, says this
...more
The Earth's mantle is a rocky, solid shell that is between the Earth's crust and the outer core. The mantle is made up of many different reservoirs that have different chemical compositions. Scientists
...more
Some faults look strong and like they wouldn’t cause an earthquake. But it turns out that they can slip and slide like weak faults causing earthquakes. Scientists have been looking at one of these faults
...more
The sun goes through cycles that last approximately 11 years. These solar cycle include phases with more magnetic activity, sunspots, and solar flares. They also include phases with less activity. The
...more
Studying tree rings doesn't only tell us the age of that tree. Tree rings also show what climate was like while the tree was alive. This means that tree rings can tell us about climates of the past. Two
...more
