Friday, April 18, 2008

No Solar Link Redux, Redux

Research has thrown further doubt on the notion that cosmic rays are a major influence on the Earth's climate.

This is very similar to recent work by Sloan and A.W. Wolfendale, which I noted here; its lead author ( Jon Egill Kristjansson) suggests that if a theory like Svensmark's is true (cosmic radiation drives cloud formation drives average temperature increases/decreases on Earth) then

...sudden changes in cosmic ray intensity should ...[produce]... increases in cloud cover, changes in the size of droplets, and possibly in the total amount of water carried in the clouds.

The author(s) see no such changes, therefore conclude that the theory is not likely to be true.

I should note that the first Sloan/Wolfendale paper inspired this critical response from Israeli astrophysicist N.J. Shaviv, which prompted a rebuttal (exclusive to this blog) from Terry Sloan himself.

Yeah, we're about more than fighting Nazis at BCLSB.

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