For decades, scientists have claimed that solar activity is related to the various climatic changes on earth. The sun is the source of life on earth, and is the largest source of energy for the earth. Since most of the energy of the earth comes from the sun, the abrupt changes in solar activity are bound to have a profound effect on the earth and its climate. Almost all scientists agreed to this a century ago. However, based on a study of the increase in temperature of the earth in the past thirty years, it was found that the increase in temperature on earth had no relation with the solar activity, because while the earth’s temperature was increasing, no significant changes were observed in solar activity during these years. Since then, the relation between solar activity and climatic change on earth has been subject to various controversies.
Today, most scientists have rejected all claims of the interrelation of solar activity and climatic change. Although the study has shown no significant changes in solar activity, the results of the study when plotted in graphical form, show that the sun has a very slight cooling trend over the past three decades. Furthermore, the graph also shows that while the temperature of the sun has decreased slightly during the period of study, the temperature on earth has increased. Based on different research carried out from the late 1800s to the early 2000s, the effect of solar activity on climate is slowly decreasing with the time. This means that the solar activity has less effect on the earth’s climate today than it had in the past.
The results of the most recent study about the interrelation of solar activity and climatic change were released in 2011, which state that since 1950, solar activity has contributed to only 0.07 C increase in the earth’s temperature. This study is known as the Huber and Knutti study. Based on another study conducted in 1998, which is known as the Frolich study, solar activity has contributed to 0.2 C increase in the earth’s temperature from 1988 to 1998.
Based on the various studies mentioned above, it is clear that the effect of solar activity on climatic changes on earth is decreasing with time. The contribution of solar activity to the earth’s temperature is going towards a negative slope, and there might come a time, when the solar activity will have absolutely no effect on the earth’s climate. Whether this will happen or not, only time will tell.
