December 30, 2012 – SPACE – SOLAR CYCLE UPDATE: 2013 is only days away, and according to most forecasters, Solar Max should be approaching as well. But is it? Barely-increasing sunspot counts and anemic solar activity suggest an interesting possibility: Perhaps Solar Max is already here. (Below) This plot of measured vs. predicted sunspot numbers illustrates the idea: The blue curve traces monthly sunspot numbers measured since 2000. The red curve is the prediction of the NOAA-led Solar Cycle Prediction Panel. So far, Solar Cycle 24 is underperforming even compared to the panel’s low expectations. There is still a strong chance that Cycle 24 will rebound and peak in 2013 as expected. It might even be a double-peaked cycle like the cycle before it. As 2013 nears only one thing is certain: we don’t know what will happen. Stay tuned. –Space Weather
We will be wishing for a bit of global warming, anthropogenic or otherwise, if this keeps up.
I don’t fully understand the time cycles but looking at the data, that we do have available it, would suggest that ice maximums arrive alarmingly rapidly. I’m of the opinion that during the next handful of years there will be no-one living further than 20 degrees either side of the equator.
Luckily there will be plenty of room and as a civilization there is no intrinsic need to de-populate.
We will be wishing for a bit of global warming, anthropogenic or otherwise, if this keeps up.
I don’t fully understand the time cycles but looking at the data, that we do have available it, would suggest that ice maximums arrive alarmingly rapidly. I’m of the opinion that during the next handful of years there will be no-one living further than 20 degrees either side of the equator.
Luckily there will be plenty of room and as a civilization there is no intrinsic need to de-populate.