Northern Lights and climate change

December 12th, 2007
climate change

From a NASA website comes a rather fascinating article about the Northern Lights. Occasionally we get a chance to come across some rather brilliant displays here in Vermont. My first and most memorable display was caught one summer eve from the Point of Pines on Lake Bomoseen - more than 35 years ago!

Apparently recent satellite data reveals some very new facts about the Aurora Borealis - these displays are tightly bound to the sun-earth magnetic fields and pack a lot of energy into the process.

While following the global warming debate, there is a correlation between sunspot cycles and weather patterns, and some have suggested that the sun’s magnetic field - modulated by sun spot activity - determines gamma ray activity - which in turn can influence cloud formation and thus climate. Pretty complicated stuff.

While not specifically mentioned in this article, it’s hard to imagine that a direct connection between solar activity and the earth in these magnetic fields do not have a significant influence on climate - especially when the energy estimated for one of these displays is equivalent to a 5.5 magnitude earthquake!

Something to think about.

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