When the sun is active there is an increase in the suns magnetic field, electrically charged particles (solar wind), energy in the ultra violet spectrum can increase by 100%, and the energy in other spectrums will increase slightly. During The Little Ice Age, the sun entered a period of little or no solar activity called the Maunder Minimum. It was still shining brightly, but there were hardly any solar flares. The decreased solar wind allows more cosmic rays from outside the solar system to enter the atmosphere. Some scientists believe these cosmic rays help to seed clouds. We don't have any pictures from the Little Ice Age, but there are many paintings from artists of that era. Here are some links to landscape paintings, notice that the skies are overcast in most of the paintings:
http://www.bouman102.info/avercamp_hendrick.htm
http://www.postershop.ch/Brueghel-Piet/Brueghel-Piet-Jaeger-im-Schnee-2600217.html
2007-11-08
04:52:46
·
7 answers
·
asked by
Larry
4
in
Global Warming