BCM Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 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. Ice skating on the Thames by 2025? 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. As NASA notes: Early records of sunspots indicate that the Sun went through a period of inactivity in the late 17th century. Very few sunspots were seen on the Sun from about 1645 to 1715. Although the observations were not as extensive as in later years, the Sun was in fact well observed during this time and this lack of sunspots is well documented. This period of solar inactivity also corresponds to a climatic period called the "Little Ice Age" when rivers that are normally ice-free froze and snow fields remained year-round at lower altitudes. There is evidence that the Sun has had similar periods of inactivity in the more distant past. During the Maunder Minimum and for periods either side of it, many European rivers which are ice-free today – including the Thames – routinely froze over, allowing ice skating and even for armies to march across them in some cases. "This is highly unusual and unexpected," says Dr Frank Hill of the NSO. "But the fact that three completely different views of the Sun point in the same direction is a powerful indicator that the sunspot cycle may be going into hibernation." http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/ice_age/ Awesome, get your skis out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary C Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Uh, I can't even be bothered to follow cosmic-environmental news anymore. Monday we're burning. Tuesday we're frozen. I'll just check the weather and decide whether there was something going on after a few years of personal experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 It'll be just like Orlando, how wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 fucking "global warming" - what a load of shit that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sup Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 may god gave us a 2nd chance for cure global warming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Coalbucket PI Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 When are we going to put some men on the sun to monitor this sort of thing? The Chinese are surely already planning it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaen Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 sounds good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AcrossCanyons Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I can't deal with year-round winter :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscillik Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I can't deal with year-round winter :( the country will grind to a halt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest couch Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Wait what? Is the global warming fad getting old so now it's a new ice age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tidbit Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 cold>warm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCM Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 the earth is a self-regulating system, more than that, the solar system is a self-regulating system - all this talk of humans needing to "do something" to combat global warming etc is unecessary. take for example, the fact that we are in the most intensive period of plant growth in recent history right now and "they" think it's likely because of the increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere - plants consume CO2 as we all know, so the more in the atmosphere, the more plants like it and grow more, which then regulates the CO2 etc etc - obviously it's much more complicated than this, but you see my point. also, the more humans effect climate change, the more natural disatsers occur and the more crops fail etc due to more severe weather patterns and all the rest of it, which then kills lots of humans, which in turn lessens the impact on the climate from human action. and this is all just the earth's regulatory failsafes - i think if things get really fucked up there is probably solar-system-wide another regulatory level which could come into play - ie the sun's fluctuating output and cycles. so relax everybody, it's all OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest uptown devil Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 we can't even get tomorrow's weather right, how can anyone take this prediction seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patternoverlap Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Considering it was 99 degrees here yesterday, I welcome some cool weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modey Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dese manz hatin Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 :sup: :sup: :sup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patternoverlap Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sprigg Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I'll believe it when I'm making snow-penises in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadlyTowers Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 the earth is a self-regulating system, more than that, the solar system is a self-regulating system - all this talk of humans needing to "do something" to combat global warming etc is unecessary. take for example, the fact that we are in the most intensive period of plant growth in recent history right now and "they" think it's likely because of the increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere - plants consume CO2 as we all know, so the more in the atmosphere, the more plants like it and grow more, which then regulates the CO2 etc etc - obviously it's much more complicated than this, but you see my point. also, the more humans effect climate change, the more natural disatsers occur and the more crops fail etc due to more severe weather patterns and all the rest of it, which then kills lots of humans, which in turn lessens the impact on the climate from human action. and this is all just the earth's regulatory failsafes - i think if things get really fucked up there is probably solar-system-wide another regulatory level which could come into play - ie the sun's fluctuating output and cycles. so relax everybody, it's all OK. these arguments remind me a lot of the equilibrium bullshit that led the US economy into another depression and wtf does it mean to say "the solar system is a self-regulating system" about the sensationalist ice age article: it sounds like there isn't much evidence that scenario - and if happens it's basically a bad thing for global warming deniers because you'll have warming during a definite decrease in solar output. http://www.skepticalscience.com/How-would-Solar-Grand-Minimum-affect-global-warming.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaini Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 sigh. troon to thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscillik Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 the earth is a self-regulating system, more than that, the solar system is a self-regulating system - all this talk of humans needing to "do something" to combat global warming etc is unecessary. take for example, the fact that we are in the most intensive period of plant growth in recent history right now and "they" think it's likely because of the increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere - plants consume CO2 as we all know, so the more in the atmosphere, the more plants like it and grow more, which then regulates the CO2 etc etc - obviously it's much more complicated than this, but you see my point. also, the more humans effect climate change, the more natural disatsers occur and the more crops fail etc due to more severe weather patterns and all the rest of it, which then kills lots of humans, which in turn lessens the impact on the climate from human action. and this is all just the earth's regulatory failsafes - i think if things get really fucked up there is probably solar-system-wide another regulatory level which could come into play - ie the sun's fluctuating output and cycles. so relax everybody, it's all OK. these arguments remind me a lot of the equilibrium bullshit that led the US economy into another depression to be fair, what the fuck has the US economy gotta do with the sun? nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirch Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 well, in England we've had a really mild, rainy Summer thus far, which i'm glad of. can't stand hot weather. so yeah, so much for global warming! but about the "mini ice age" a'comin? Lol, what a load of rubbish. what's a mini ice age anyway? i'd be more inclined to believe ancient Mayan prophecy than these scientists. so much of science is just bullshit theories anyway, based upon minute amounts of data. it's their job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braintree Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 well, in England we've had a really mild, rainy Summer thus far, which i'm glad of. can't stand hot weather. so yeah, so much for global warming! but about the "mini ice age" a'comin? Lol, what a load of rubbish. what's a mini ice age anyway? i'd be more inclined to believe ancient Mayan prophecy than these scientists. so much of science is just bullshit theories anyway, based upon minute amounts of data. it's their job. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoNHk_pJlRo&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braintree Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 "Climate change" is just a clever way to make global warming not sound so urgent or scary. Kind of like how post traumatic stress disorder used to be called "shell shock." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaini Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 can we stop referring to climate change as global warming now? I think it's been made clear several times that the earth's temperatures will further polarise, not just get warmer everywhere. and every time I hear "doesn't feel like it's getting warmer hurr science" it just gives me the shits. climate change is a fact. global warming is a theory. but gravity is also just a theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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