Solar activity fluctuates in an 11-year cycle. But so far in this cycle, the sun has been disturbingly quiet. The lack of increased activity could signal the beginning of what is known as a Maunder Minimum, an event which occurs every couple of centuries and can last as long as a century.No change has been measured in the sun's magnetic field so far this cycle, which means that if the sun remains quiet for another year or two, it can indicate a repeat of the previous period of the Maundar Minimum.
Such an event occurred in the 17th century. The observation of sunspots showed extraordinarily low levels of magnetism on the sun, with little or no 11-year cycle.
This solar hibernation corresponded with a period of bitter cold that began around 1650 and lasted, with intermittent spikes of warming, until 1715. Frigid winters and cold summers during that period led to massive crop failures, famine and death in Northern Europe.
This could - possibly - result in a notable cooling of the Earth, bringing massive snowfall and severe weather to the Northern Hemisphere.
Wow... crank up those carbon dioxide emissions! We humans may actually save the Earth from it's next mini-iceage if we act now!*
*Just a complete dramatization on how we are not going to change the weather a whit... if the sun decides differently.
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