I thought we had reached solar maximum (albeit at a very low level) for this Solar Cycle 24 about a month ago with a double peak apparently having been evident in May. But the recent burst of solar activity during October suggests that the double peak may not be quite over yet.
SC24 sunspot activity October 2013
Nasa’s prediction for SC24 (Wilson, Hathaway, and Reichmann) now looks like this:
SC24 prediction November 2013
Solar Maximum which was expected this fall may be somewhat delayed and might even be pushed back to the end of 2013.
The activity levels are still historically low and if SC 25 continues at very low levels then we will be getting close to the conditions of the Dalton and perhaps the Maunder Minimum. The sequence of solar cycles SC23,24 and 25 (Landscheidt Minimum) are then to be compared to the sequence of cycles SC4,5 and 6 for the Dalton Minimum whereas the Maunder Minimum corresponds to the period before solar cycle numbering started (prior to SC1).
Solar science is a long, long way from being a settled science and it always amazes me that “climate science”, which is overwhelmingly dependent upon the solar dynamo in its many various forms, can be considered to be settled. And not only settled, but so little dependent upon solar effects!
We ignore the Sun at our peril!
Tags: Dalton minimum, Landscheidt Minimum, Maunder Minimum, NASA, solar cycle, Solar Cycle 24, solar cycle double-peak, solar maximum
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