Premium
How unprecedented a solar minimum?
Author(s) -
Russell C. T.,
Luhmann J. G.,
Jian L. K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/2009rg000316
Subject(s) - solar minimum , solar cycle 22 , solar irradiance , sunspot , solar maximum , solar cycle , earth's magnetic field , environmental science , solar cycle 23 , solar cycle 24 , atmospheric sciences , physics , magnetic field , solar wind , quantum mechanics
The end of the current solar minimum is at least 2 years late, and indicators of solar and geomagnetic activity are approaching or are at their historical lows. We examine current indicators to determine how unprecedented this solar cycle might be, comment on possible earlier analogs to the current situation, and discuss attempts to predict future sunspot maxima on the basis of geomagnetic and solar magnetic data. Accompanying the change in the solar magnetic field has been a significant, albeit small, change in the total solar irradiance. Thus, the coming solar cycle(s) may provide an opportunity to separate the climatic effects of solar and anthropogenic sources.