Bad Astronomer on Reduced Sun Spots and Climate

Tweet Bad Astonomer makes the case that the amount of cooling we’d see from Maunder Minimum of reduced sunspot activity would still be less than the global warming we’ve been experiencing since the 20th century. It might slow things down for a while, but the climate change we’re seeing now — and it’s real, folks — is more than enough to take on a little temporary cooling, especially local cooling.

It’s not clear the studies if there will be a weak sun cycle next time around. It’s possible, but not a sure thing. And a weak cycle, as Dr. Biesecker points out, doesn’t necessarily mean anything to our climate, volcanoes or not.

This is pretty standard. Some groups are always claiming larger climate effects (warmer or colder) and then others are saying the effects will not be as large (warmer or colder).



1) Claims of an imminent global ice age are at best exaggerated.

2) The link of global cooling to an extended solar magnetic minimum is tenuous, and almost certainly needs something else to force it to occur (like lots of volcanoes), and

3) We’re not even all that sure we’re headed for an extended minimum.

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