Solar+Variation

=Solar Variation= Solar variation at its core is the amount of solar radiation emitted by the sun. Solar variation is characterized by an 11 year sun spot cycle. Due to recent technological advancements in the last century solar variation and sun spots have been recorded and analyzed to determine the effect of solar variation on the Earth and more specifically Global Warming. [|[Document F]] Sunspots themselves are relatively dark spots on the sun and are cooler in temperature then most other parts of the sun. Some sunspots cam be as large as 50,000 miles in diameter and they can move across the sun while increasing and decreasing in size. With the aid of a telescope sun spots can be viewed from earth with some degree of clarity. A direct correlation has been found between sun spots and the intensity of solar radiation. Scientist have debated whether or not solar variation and sun spots have lead to or contributed to global warming, but it can be proven that solar variation does effect our climate. Solar Variation appears to have been interrupted in the recent future, cycle 24 of the sunspot cycle was supposed to begin in 2007 or 2008 but reports say that cycle 24 could start as late as 2009. Solar Variation and sun spots have been a phenomena that has baffled scientists for hundreds of years and discovering the secrets of sunspots could help the world understand global warming. [|[Document D]] ||

1 Process 2 Importance 3 Relation to other Wikis 3 Chemistry 4 Media 5 References ||
 * Contents

Process
The sun is not a constant source of energy, but rather differs in its radiation to Earth. Solar variability is the study of the sun and its recorded and theorized cycles. One of the earliest known accounts of solar variation is the sunspot cycle. Sunspots are spots on the sun where it is significantly cooler due to magnetic activity which suppresses convection. The amount of sunspots variate depending on the status of its average 11 year sunspot cycle. This is called the Schwabe-Wolf cycle. There have been links to climate changes on Earth and sunspot variation. One example is the Little Ice Age which took place in the 17th century to mid 19th century. [|[Document B]]

[[image:http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/Sunspot-group_l.jpg width="179" height="152" align="left" caption="Sunspot"]]
This occurred during the Maunder Minimum, a recorded low number of sunspots. This is just one example of solar variation. Another measure of solar variation is Hale's Cycle, which continues every 22 years. This cycle predicts many solar activities, such as solar flares, to short wave radiation such as U.V. radiation, or even X-rays. Hale's Cycle and other cycles also involve solar irradiance, the amount of solar light and total radiation to actually reach the Earth. All of this stems from the sun's magnetic activity. The surface of the sun is extremely hot, plasma, which can conduct electricity. The root of variability in the sun is its extreme amount of mass, ionized gas, and magnetic fields. [|[Document C]]

Importance
Solar Variations importance lies in its effect on the climate. A clear connection has been formed between solar variation and an effect on climate, The Little Ice Age during the 17th to mid 19th century seems to prove that sunspots do affect our climate, but the question is how much does solar variation affect the current crisis of global warming. Sunspots are naturally occurring and seem to have no link to human activity, this can be interpreted as a sign that solar variation isn't affecting global warming. More likely however is that solar activity is a minor factor of global warming that is multiplied when mixed with other elements of global warming such as the emission of green house gases. In a recent study conducted by physicists and climate scientists in the US and Europe, it was concluded that by studying satellite readings of sunspots based on the 11 year cycle that sunspots don't have a Jurassic effect on climate change. In a more in depth look at the study it was concluded that the data from 1970 didn't support the claim that global warming was caused solely by the sun. The effect "is really small, unless you can come up with ways to amplify it," says Tom Wigley, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Wigley's statement supports the theory that the sun's activity is critical to understanding climate change, however it is unlikely that solar activity alone is responsible for global warming and the trends of climate change that the earth has been experiencing. [|[Document E]]

Solar Activity has also been credited with changing the climate in other more subtle ways. The sun and solar activity can affect cloud formation and intern this can dtermine weather and climate patterns. The sun to is atributed to affecting plant life and animal life, this can also have a small but still important affect on the climate.(Document B).

As the world starts to combat global warming and the factors that are thought to be man made it is important that the Sun and solar variation isn't forgotten. The Sun is a largely unknown quantity that has more energy then is conceivable for most people, with solar cycles being suspect to change in the coming years the climate could be drastically affected. Mini ice ages have been recorded in the past and the world needs to continue researching the sun to ensure that we are not only ready to fight the human made factors of global warming but also how to deal with the sun and its ever changing dynamics.

Relation to Other Wikis
Solar Variation is just one topic in the climate-jigsaw puzzle. While the precise effect of the sun is clearly debatable, it is necessary to consider it in discussions involving global warming. This page discusses the sun also, and references nuclear chemistry and solar variation itself. Solar variation is just one study of the sun, as with something so profound and massive, it is almost impossible to comprehend the entirety of all of its effects on its surrounding galaxy.

While the discussion of global warming may talk about the direct effect of global warming on land, the sun has the warming effect on the ocean that, with ocean currents spread the heat around to the rest of the world. Surely the study of how the sun affects the oceans to affect the rest of the world must be taken into account to fully represent the heat exchange in the world. This page more thoroughly discusses the effects of heat exchange into the ocean, but more specifically how ocean currents relate in the movement of heat to around the world. "The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves. Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar collectors. The sun's heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference creates thermal energy. Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power the world" (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/oceanenergy)

Chemistry
Solar Variation can be complex to understand, the chemistry that explains sunspots and their occurrence can be difficult to understand. But the basic principle underlying the chemistry behind the sun is the wave length and the wave frequencies that the sun produces and how this affects the climate. Solar irradiance is the amount of sun light that reaches the earth's surface. This can be affected by the wavelength and frequency of the light that the sun emits. Different frequencies and different wavelengths are absorbed differently by clouds, the atmosphere and organisms on earth, this can effect how much light actually gets to earth. In addition solar particles and the sun's magnetic field can be altered due to solar variation, this causes the solar particles to interact with the earth's magnetic field, when the earth's magnetic field is disrupted or affected in any way, cloud cover on earth can be affected. With different cloud cover different amounts of solar irradiance can reach earth causing climate change if this pattern is repeated.

Solar Activity can also be linked with the production of carbon 14, carbon 14 is produced when cosmic rays in the upper atmosphere collide with nitrogen 14. This causes the carbon which is usually carbon 12 to form an unusual isotope of carbon 14. Changes in carbon in the atmosphere has been linked to changes in vegetation and other aspects that affect our climate.

The Sun has a magnetic field that huge in comparision to the Earths. The suns magnetic field is 1 guass which is twice as strong as the magnetic field of Earth. The magnetic field of the sun is similar the the one that Earth has, the magnetic field has drastic effects on planets surrounding it. The magnetic field creates solar winds that carry Interplanetary Magnetic Fields that can affect Earth's climate. Places where the magnetic field is strongest are called active regions. The active regions are common places for sunspots, and these sunspots in turn affect the Earth's climate. The real question is where does the sun get it energy from, this answer lies in the ideo of Nuclear Fusion, in Nuclear fusion if light nuclei are forced together they will fuse, as a result of them fusind a mass will be created that is les then the masses of their individual nuclei. If thi principle is true then the result from the fusion will be a large amount of energy. In the suns case, reactions from the inside of the sun are created that produce the light and energy that affects our climate. The Sun is made of ionized atoms moslty, 75% by mas Hydrogen and 25% by mass Helium, and a small variety of other elements. The middle of the sun is extremely hot obvioulsy and a reaction that sums up what is occuring in the middle of the sun can be modelled by the reaction of the burning of methane gas: C H4 + 2 O2 --> C O2 + 2 H2 O Since energy is conserved the extra energy is released as energy of motion of particles.The actual reaction that occur in the middle of the sun can be modeleed by: 4 1H + 2 e --> 4He + 2 neutrinos + 6 photons These reactions give the sun its energy and allow it to heat and provide light for Earth. (Document H)

Media
media type="youtube" key="lIkQL6K8uY4" height="344" width="425" Sunspot Cycle Explanation from Professor Tim Patterson media type="youtube" key="JbFd04ogHAw" height="344" width="425" Student Produced: Chemistry Detectives Episode Two: Solar Variability [|[Document A]]

media type="youtube" key="0PDfe5xSKfM" height="344" width="425" rss url="http://rss.sciam.com/sciam/topic/global-climate-change" link="true" description="true" number="5"

Image Citations
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/sun_main.jpg

http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/Sunspot-group_l.jpg

http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/images/solar_system/sunspot_cycle.gif

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