The aerosols are molecular clusters in the air that generally grow to seed the water droplets of low-level clouds. This, in turn, decreases the cloud cover, which is understood to affect environment,” states senior researcher. The hope is that this outcome will assist reconsider the long-lasting result of solar activity and cosmic rays on climate,” Says Henrik Svensmark.
Cosmic ray showers in the atmosphere might be very important for cloud development. Credit: DTU Space
Big Effect of Solar Activity on Earths Energy Budget
This is the result of a new research study by researchers from DTU Space at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who have traced the repercussions of eruptions on the Sun on clouds and Earths energy balance..
” We checked cosmic ray impacts on the atmosphere for about 2 weeks. When solar surges reduce the cosmic ray flux reaching Earth, they momentarily decrease the production of little aerosols. The aerosols are molecular clusters in the air that normally grow to seed the water droplets of low-level clouds. This, in turn, decreases the cloud cover, which is understood to affect climate,” states senior scientist. Henrik Svensmark, lead author of the research study released in Natures Scientific Reports.
The breakthrough is that the result on the Earths energy budget has been quantified directly using in-depth satellite observations from the CERES instrument on NASAs Terra and Aqua satellites. The observation is that Earth soaks up nearly 2 W/m2 additional energy within 4 to 6 days of the cosmic-ray minimum.
This research, in which Jacob Svensmark, Martin Bødker Enghoff, and Nir Shaviv participated, connects observable variations in clouds and Earths energy budget to Danish lab experiments and theory. It reveals how cosmic rays assist make the all-important aerosols and accelerate their growth to cloud condensation nuclei.
Previous research study by the team anticipated that the effects should be most obvious in low elevation liquid clouds over the oceans is verified with the new study. Spatial maps verify that the controling net radiative forcing changes are from low liquid clouds over the beautiful seas.
” We now have synchronised observations of reductions cosmic rays, aerosols, clouds, and the energy budget, which is quite fantastic,” includes professor Nir Shaviv.
” The solar results in this research study are too short-lived to have a lasting result on the climate. They do, however, dramatize the cosmic ray-cloud system that works more patiently on longer time scales. The hope is that this result will assist reconsider the long-lasting result of solar activity and cosmic rays on environment,” Says Henrik Svensmark.
Reference: “Atmospheric ionization and cloud radiative forcing” by Henrik Svensmark, Jacob Svensmark, Martin Bødker Enghoff and Nir J. Shaviv, 11 October 2021, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-021-99033-1.