Apr 15, 2016 05:05 PM
http://paulcooijmans.com/genius/solar_activity.html -- "A first step toward understanding the sun's role in modulating cultural and social affairs on Earth is to consider how sunspot activity may relate causally to the global climate. There exist multiple theories of solar influence on climate and weather; particularly interesting and plausible is the one associated with Henrik Svensmark, which concerns the role of galactic cosmic rays in cloud formation. In short, cosmic rays entering the atmosphere supposedly promote the formation of aerosols large enough to serve as condensation nuclei for clouds. Therefore, when much cosmic radiation reaches the Earth, there is more cloud formation, which has a cooling effect as sunlight is blocked. When little cosmic radiation reaches the Earth, the opposite is the case, and more sunlight will be let through.
The sunspot cycle enters into this because high sunspot activity goes with a strong magnetic field (of the sun). This deflects cosmic radiation away from the Earth, supposedly resulting in less cloud formation as just explained. With low sunspot activity, the opposite. Thus, around a solar maximum, there will be less clouds blocking the sunlight. During a minimum, the opposite. It may be relevant here that changes in the sun's magnetic field do not coincide perfectly with sunspot activity; the "magnetic maximum" may occur a year after the actual maximum in sunspot count. There is some controversy about Svensmark's theory, which is understandable given the current dominance of the greenhouse theory of global warming with which it is to some extent in contradiction."
The sunspot cycle enters into this because high sunspot activity goes with a strong magnetic field (of the sun). This deflects cosmic radiation away from the Earth, supposedly resulting in less cloud formation as just explained. With low sunspot activity, the opposite. Thus, around a solar maximum, there will be less clouds blocking the sunlight. During a minimum, the opposite. It may be relevant here that changes in the sun's magnetic field do not coincide perfectly with sunspot activity; the "magnetic maximum" may occur a year after the actual maximum in sunspot count. There is some controversy about Svensmark's theory, which is understandable given the current dominance of the greenhouse theory of global warming with which it is to some extent in contradiction."