Scientists Predict Big Solar Cycle.
Evidence is mounting: the next solar cycle is going to be a big one.
Solar cycle 24, due to peak in 2010 or 2011 "looks like its going to be
one of the most intense cycles since record-keeping began almost 400
years ago," says solar physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space
Flight Center. He and colleague Robert Wilson presented this conclusion
last week at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
heir forecast is based on historical records of geomagnetic storms.
Hathaway explains: "When a gust of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic
field, the impact causes the magnetic field to shake. If it shakes hard
enough, we call it a geomagnetic storm." In the extreme, these storms
cause power outages and make compass needles swing in the wrong
direction. Auroras are a beautiful side-effect.
Hathaway and Wilson looked at records of geomagnetic activity stretching
back almost 150 years and noticed something useful:. "The amount of
geomagnetic activity now tells us what the solar cycle is going to be
like 6 to 8 years in the future," says Hathaway.
more...
http://www.physorg.com/news86010302.html
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