Earth Changes

Cosmic rays reaching Earth increase 10% in just one month as Solar activity continues decreasing

Space Weather
Sun, 14 Jun 2015 19:55 UTC

For the past month, solar activity has been low. The last big burst of solar activity happened on May 5th when an X2-class solar flare erupted from the sun's eastern limb. Since then ... quiet. To investigate the effect of low solar activity on the atmosphere, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have been launching helium balloons at ~weekly intervals. Equipped with X-ray and gamma-ray sensors, the balloons measure ionizing radiation all the way from ground level to the stratosphere. Here are the results:

During the past month of low solar activity, ionizing radiation in the stratosphere has increased by 10%. This may seem counterintuitive, but there is a simple explanation: The radiation we measure is dominated by cosmic rays--a mix of subatomic particles, X-rays and gamma-rays that come from outside the solar system. Explosions on the sun (especially CMEs) tend to push these cosmic rays away from Earth. During the past month, however, there have been relatively few CMEs. Fewer CMEs means more cosmic rays. Yin-yang.

Cosmic rays are an important form of space weather. They matter to anyone who steps foot on an airplane. According to NASA, a 100,000 mile frequent flier will absorb a dose of radiation equivalent to 10 chest X-rays--all from cosmic rays. Cosmic rays have also been linked to cloud cover, lightning, and they may play some role in climate change.

If the sun remains quiet, cosmic rays could increase even more. Stay tuned for updates from the stratosphere.

Reader Comments

carefix · 2015-06-14T21:42:54Z

Cosmic

More rays equals more cloud equals cooler. So a less active sun equals cooler climate and vise versa. So as SC24 passes into history (or at least the peak) we will get a cooler climate...

It could get very bad over the next decade. Sell you global warming shares and buy snowshoes.

rbateman1 · 2015-06-14T21:58:36Z

Galactic and Solar CR's

There is an important difference between Galactic and Solar Cosmic Rays.
The Galactic Cosmic Rays are extreme high-energy, as compared to the more benevolent Solar Cosmic Rays.
Somewhere in the range of GCRs there is a hysteresis point range, which when crossed (exceeded or fallen short of) affects Earth's climate, warming or cooling it.
See this link: [Link] and notice the scale. It is expressed in percentage. When it rises above 4% (or so), cooling is initiated, and will not reverse until it falls to 8% (or so). Look at the 70's cooling period. It lasted a long time. Since then, the GCR's have spent most of thier time in the warming range.
What causes them to change in percentage?
2 things.
One is natural variation in the amount that reach the Solar System.
The other is the amount of shielding the Sun produces, which is co-incident with the strength of Solar Cycles.
So, as this Solar Cycle falls away, the GCR's will increase. And, if the predictions of a weak/dead next Solar Cycle are true, then they will continue to rise until the limit is reached, whatever that may be.
Ditto with the cooling.
This is the behavior of these things, and does not mean that all is known or discovered about them.
They are most certainly not controllable by Man.

just thinking · 2015-06-15T16:22:50Z

Your Radiation This Week No. 11

San Francisco) Jun 12, 2015 – Good Day, this is “Your Radiation This Week.” These are the recorded Radiation Highs that affected people this week around the United States and in your neighborhood. Let’s get right to it.

RADIATION CPM* CITY STATE

*Listed in Counts per Minute, a Count is One Radioactive Decay Registered by the Instrument.

Partial Counts are noted. Uncounted radiation would make the actual Count higher. “Normal Background is 5-20 CPM.”[6]....continued
[Link]