Topic: Cosmic rays affect the weather?

[Nemesis]

Link to full article

The data revealed that electrons released by cosmic rays act as catalysts, which significantly accelerate the formation of stable, ultra-small clusters of sulphuric acid and water molecules which are building blocks for the cloud condensation nuclei. A vast numbers of such microscopic droplets appeared, floating in the air in the reaction chamber.

The original theory rested on data showing a strong correlation between variation in the intensity of cosmic radiation penetrating the atmosphere and the amount of low-altitude clouds. Cloud cover increases when the intensity of cosmic rays grows and decreases when the intensity declines.

It is known that low-altitude clouds have an overall cooling effect on the Earth's surface. Hence, variations in cloud cover caused by cosmic rays can change the surface temperature. The existence of such a cosmic connection to Earth's climate might thus help to explain past and present variations in Earth's climate.

Interestingly, during the 20th Century, the Sun's magnetic field which shields Earth from cosmic rays more than doubled, thereby reducing the average influx of cosmic rays.

The resulting reduction in cloudiness, especially of low-altitude clouds, may be a significant factor in the global warming Earth has undergone during the last century. However, until now, there has been no experimental evidence of how the causal mechanism linking cosmic rays and cloud formation may work.

[jualdeaux]

Shhhh. They don't want to know this.

[Nemesis]

If the Sun's magnetic field shields the Earth and causes warming then what happens if it is at a low point (or reversing poles) when the Earth's magnetic field is reversing and therefore is at a very low or non existant point?  Run away global cooling resulting in an ice age?  Ending when one or both magnetic fields peak for a sustained period causing global warming?

[Centurus]

Interesting theory.  I wonder if anyone has ever done research to see if there is a link between the shifting of the Earth's poles and the known ice ages that the Earth has undergone to see if there is an overlap when such things occur.

Maybe the reason why ice ages occur might be staring them in the face, they just don't know it yet.

[Nemesis]

I wouldn't call it a theory just a speculation. 

Checking the Earth's magnetic field that way should be possible, it is how they discovered evidence of pole reversal in the first place.

Checking the Solar magnetic field history would (I suspect be much more difficult.  Perhaps a planet with no magnetic field of its own that was deep in the solar field would be a source of information, Mercury perhaps the Moon?

Maybe someday a real scientist will come to the same conclusion and back it up with evidence.  Then I get to say "Darn I'm good".   

[Nemesis]

Link to article on the Geodynamo

They did a simulation on a supercomputer lasting 1 year and simulating 40,000 years of the Earth and the poles reversed in the simulation.

Link to article on emissions from the ocean causing mass extinctions.

Possibly the magnetic reversal starts things going and if conditions on the sea floor are right they kick off a later phase?  (I haven't read this whole article yet.)