A prolonged decline in solar output will begin sometime around 2040 and subject the Earth to global cooling that will last 200-250 years, scientists at Russia’s Pulkovo Observatory report.
“Evidently, solar activity is on the decrease,” explained Pulkovo scientist Yuri Nagovitsyn. “The 11-year cycle doesn’t bring about considerable climate change – only 1-2%. The impact of the 200-year cycle is greater – up to 50%. In this respect, we could be in for a cooling period that lasts 200-250 years.
Nagovitsyn said the cooling will be substantial, though not quite as strong as the cooling that occurred during the Maunder Minimum in the depths of the Little Ice Age during the late 1600s.
The period of low solar activity could start in 2030-2040 but it won’t be as pervasive as in the late 17th century,” said Nagovitsyn.
Nagovitsyn explained that variations in solar output are a significant factor in global climate change.
“Once solar activity declines, the temperature drops,” Nagovitsyn noted.
