"All Quiet Alert" Issued For the Sun

radioweather writes "The phrase sounds like an oxymoron, and maybe it is, but the sun is extremely quiet right now, so much in fact that the Solar Influences Data Center in Belgium issued an unusual 'All quiet alert' on October 5th. Since then the sunspot number has remained at zero — solar cycle 24 has not yet started. There are signs that the sun's activity is slowing. The solar wind has been decreasing in speed, and this is yet another indicator of a slowing in the sun's magnetic dynamo. There is talk of an extended solar minimum occurring. There are a number of theories and a couple of dozen predictions about the intensity solar cycle 24 which has yet to start. One paper by Penn & Livingstonin in 2006 concludes: 'If [trends] continue to decrease at the current rate then the number of sunspots in the next solar cycle (cycle 24) would be reduced by roughly half, and there would be very few sunspots visible on the disk during cycle 25.' We'll know more in about six months what the sun decides to do for cycle 24."

Comments

So in other words..

[GmAz]

All the scientists in the world that think they know everything realize they dont' know jack and no matter how much data you have, you cannot predict nature.

You just wait.

[einer]

The GOP will claim this is evidence that global warming is junk science.

Re:no sunspots huh?

[Foobar of Borg]

The number of sunspots hits a minimum as the globe warms up. Denials at 11.

That's the first thing I thought of. All the dittoheads trying to blame global warming on sunspots. Don't worry, though, they'll find some other absurd excuse soon. Or, just stick their fingers in their ears and say "LA!LA!LA! I can't hear you!"

Subby sounds like an oxymoron

[mcmonkey]

The phrase sounds like an oxymoron, and maybe it is, but the sun is extremely quiet right now

Given the extent to which sound travels in the vacuum of space, I expect the sun is extremely quiet all the time.

VERY Selective perception

[lego_boy_aus]

I'm guessing from your profile that you should be educated enough to know how many ways your reply was wrong too, but just in case:

1. The "talk" of a near-future Ice Age was from a few scientists and was not supported by the mainstream. Just like the "talk" today that there's no anthropogenic global warming.

   
   Except that there has been no EVIDENCE produced in support of AGW. Sure, there is a hypothesis that rising CO2 levels will increase the earths temperature, and there is evidence that Humans do cause CO2 to be released, but as yet NO MODEL has been able to come even close to representing current conditions based on KNOWN historical data (say 1960's/1970's), with all models producing results well in excess of observed temperatures. This little piece of information SHOULD, in a person with a scientific background, trigger warning bells that maybe there is a problem with the whole AGW hypothesis, and that maybe it isn't a valid hypothesis to believe in (or at a minimum that it needs a LOT more work done on it).
   
   

2. The most recent sunspot minimum (2005) coincided with the hottest year ever recorded for our planet! (Or second-hottest, depending on which set of numbers you use. Also, just to head you off at the pass, note that I mentioned the planet and not just the United States.)

   
   Yet the southern hemisphere is not warming at anywhere near the rate of the Northern hemisphere...And measuring stations data has been selectively "tweaked" if it doesn't fit the warming pattern instead of trying to work out if maybe there's a problem with the stations that don't have their data tweaked (Urban Heat Island Effect for example?). It is strange how measuring stations away from towns, etc. haven't noticed much (if any) change in temperature, while those in towns do, don't you think?
   
   

3. here is more than just "talk" of the ice caps melting. We just surpassed the previous minimum Arctic sea-ice records by more than 20%!! (Meanwhile, while the Antarctic sea-ice area reached a maximum, the total mass continues to decline.)

   
   But measurements of Arctic ice began in 1979 (from memory) while there are several records from the 1700's and 1800's of ships using the "north west passage"...Which was recently announced as having only just recently being done for the first time in history.
   
   And of course, all of this is predicated on the assumption that there is a fixed, optimum global temperature, whereas it has been shown that human's (and the earth for that matter) actually thrive much better in warmer temperatures, and that an increase in the earths temperature from the current levels may actually be beneficial.
   

Having read material from both sides of the AGW arguement myself, I personally find the claims and supposed proofs in support of the AGW hypothesis to be lacking...

Of course, you probably know all this already.