Solar activity not a key cause of climate change, study shows

Climate change has not been strongly influenced by variations in heat from the sun, a new scientific study shows

2013-12-27

(Press-News.org) Contact information: Catriona Kelly
Catriona.Kelly@ed.ac.uk
44-131-651-4401
University of Edinburgh
Solar activity not a key cause of climate change, study shows Climate change has not been strongly influenced by variations in heat from the sun, a new scientific study shows Climate change has not been strongly influenced by variations in heat from the sun, a new scientific study shows.

The findings overturn a widely held scientific view that lengthy periods of warm and cold weather in the past might have been caused by periodic fluctuations in solar activity.

Research examining the causes of climate change in the northern hemisphere over the past 1000 years has shown that until the year 1800, the key driver of periodic changes in climate was volcanic eruptions. These tend to prevent sunlight reaching the Earth, causing cool, drier weather. Since 1900, greenhouse gases have been the primary cause of climate change.

The findings show that periods of low sun activity should not be expected to have a large impact on temperatures on Earth, and are expected to improve scientists' understanding and help climate forecasting.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh carried out the study using records of past temperatures constructed with data from tree rings and other historical sources. They compared this data record with computer-based models of past climate, featuring both significant and minor changes in the sun.

They found that their model of weak changes in the sun gave the best correlation with temperature records, indicating that solar activity has had a minimal impact on temperature in the past millennium.

The study, published in Nature GeoScience, was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Dr Andrew Schurer, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said: "Until now, the influence of the sun on past climate has been poorly understood. We hope that our new discoveries will help improve our understanding of how temperatures have changed over the past few centuries, and improve predictions for how they might develop in future. Links between the sun and anomalously cold winters in the UK are still being explored."

### END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

York scientists' significant step forward in biofuels quest

2013-12-27

York scientists' significant step forward in biofuels quest Scientists at the University of York have made a significant step in the search to develop effective second generation biofuels. Researchers from the Department of Chemistry at York have discovered ...

Scientists anticipated size and location of 2012 Costa Rica earthquake

2013-12-27

Scientists anticipated size and location of 2012 Costa Rica earthquake Scientists using GPS to study changes in the Earth's shape accurately forecasted the size and location of the magnitude 7.6 Nicoya earthquake that occurred in 2012 in Costa Rica. The Nicoya ...

The analogue of a tsunami for telecommunication

2013-12-27

The analogue of a tsunami for telecommunication Development of electronics and communication requires a hardware base capable for increasingly larger precision, ergonomics and throughput. For communication and GPS-navigation satellites, it is of great importance ...

Study: Some plants may not adapt quickly to future climate change

2013-12-27

Study: Some plants may not adapt quickly to future climate change GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Using the largest dated evolutionary tree of flowering plants ever assembled, a new study suggests how plants developed traits to withstand low temperatures, with implications ...

Solitons in a crystal

2013-12-27

Solitons in a crystal Soliton water waves can travel several kilometers without any significant change in their shape or amplitude, as opposed to normal waves, which widen as they travel, and eventually disappear. Discovered over 150 years ...

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Dec. 24, 2013

2013-12-27

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Dec. 24, 2013 Embargoed news from Annals of Internal Medicine 1. Unprecedented but Justified. Princeton meningitis outbreak calls for "compassionate use" of unlicenced vaccine In the wake of Princeton University's ...

In men, high testosterone can mean weakened immune response, Stanford study finds

2013-12-27

In men, high testosterone can mean weakened immune response, Stanford study finds STANFORD, Calif. — Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have linked high testosterone levels in men to a poor immune response to an influenza ...

Higher mortality in postmenopausal women with RA and anti-CCP antibodies

2013-12-27

Higher mortality in postmenopausal women with RA and anti-CCP antibodies New research shows mortality rates are two times higher in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. Findings published in the American ...

Acupuncture, real or sham, eases hot flashes due to breast cancer chemo

2013-12-27

Acupuncture, real or sham, eases hot flashes due to breast cancer chemo Both real and sham weekly acupuncture treatments eased hot flashes and other side effects of anticancer drug treatment in a small, preliminary study of breast cancer patients, Baltimore researchers ...

Both real and 'sham' acupuncture help ease side effects of widely used breast cancer drug

2013-12-27

Both real and 'sham' acupuncture help ease side effects of widely used breast cancer drug University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found patients experienced improvement in hot flashes, other symptoms BALTIMORE – December ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling