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File:Sunspot Numbers.png

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Summary[edit]

Changes in carbon-14 concentration in the Earth's atmosphere, which serves as a long term proxy of solar activity.

This figure summarizes sunspot number observations. Since c. 1749, continuous monthly averages of sunspot activity have been available and are shown here as reported by the Solar Influences Data Analysis Center, World Data Center for the Sunspot Index, at the Royal Observatory of Belgium. These figures are based on an average of measurements from many different observatories around the world. Prior to 1749, sporadic observations of sunspots are available. These were compiled and placed on consistent monthly framework by Hoyt & Schatten (1998a, 1998b).

The most prominent feature of this graph is the c. 11 year solar magnetic cycle which is associated with the natural waxing and waning of solar activity.

On longer time scales, the sun has shown considerable variability, including the long Maunder Minimum when almost no sunspots were observed, the less severe Dalton Minimum, and increased sunspot activity during the last fifty years, known as the Modern Maximum. The causes for these variations are not well understood, but because sunspots and associated faculae affect the brightness of the sun, solar luminosity is lower during periods of low sunspot activity. It is widely believed that the low solar activity during the Maunder Minimum may be among the principal causes of the Little Ice Age. For example, during the 70-year period from 1645 to 1715, few, if any, sunspots were seen, even during expected sunspot maximums. Western Europe entered a climate period known as the "Maunder Minimum" or "Little Ice Age." Temperatures dropped by 1.8 to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Copyright[edit]

This figure was prepared by Robert A. Rohde and is part of the Global Warming Art project.

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This image is an original work created for Global Warming Art. Please refer to the image description page for more information.
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References[edit]

  • Hoyt, D. V., and K. H. Schatten (1998a). "Group sunspot numbers: A new solar activity reconstruction. Part 1.". Solar Physics 179: 189-219.
  • Hoyt, D. V., and K. H. Schatten (1998b). "Group sunspot numbers: A new solar activity reconstruction. Part 2.". Solar Physics 181: 491-512.
  • Stott, Peter A.; Gareth S. Jones and John F. B. Mitchell (15 December 2003). "Do Models Underestimate the Solar Contribution to Recent Climate Change". Journal of Climate 16: 4079-4093.

File history

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current15:21, 23 November 2015Thumbnail for version as of 15:21, 23 November 20151,020 × 425 (78 KB)NCdaveI added another decade to the graph (through Oct., 2015). I started with the previous version was uploaded in 2006. Because it was almost a decade old, it lacked Solar Cycle 24. So I started with that version, and pasted a properly-scaled version of h...
15:18, 23 November 2015Thumbnail for version as of 15:18, 23 November 20151,000 × 425 (42 KB)NCdaveReverted to version as of 20:16, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
15:15, 23 November 2015Thumbnail for version as of 15:15, 23 November 20151,020 × 425 (78 KB)NCdaveI added another decade to the graph (through Oct., 2015). I started with the previous version was uploaded in 2006. Because it was almost a decade old, it lacked Solar Cycle 24. So I started with that version, and pasted a properly-scaled version of h...
20:16, 20 July 2006Thumbnail for version as of 20:16, 20 July 20061,000 × 425 (42 KB)Nils Simon

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Horizontal resolution 37.8 dpc
Vertical resolution 37.8 dpc
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