Cosmic Rays Increasing for the 4th Year in a Row
Cosmic rays in the stratosphere are intensifying for the 4th year in a row. This finding comes from a campaign of almost weekly high-altitude balloon launches conducted by the students of Earth to Sky Calculus.
Since March 2015, there has been a ~13% increase in X-rays and gamma-rays over central California, where the students have launched hundreds of balloons.
The grey points in the graph are Earth to Sky balloon data. Overlaid on that time series is a record of neutron monitor data from the Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory in Oulu, Finland. The correlation between the two data sets is impressive, especially considering their wide geographic separation and differing methodologies. Neutron monitors have long been considered a โgold standardโ for monitoring cosmic rays on Earth. This shows that our student-built balloons are gathering data of similar quality.
Why are cosmic rays increasing? The short answer is โSolar Minimum.โ Right now, the 11-year solar cycle is plunging into one of the deepest minima of the Space Age. The sunโs weakening magnetic field and flagging solar wind are not protecting us as usual from deep-space radiation. Earth to Sky balloon launches in multiple countries and US states show that this is a widespread phenomenon.
Cosmic rays are of interest to anyone who flies on airplanes. The International Commission on Radiological Protection has classified pilots as occupational radiation workers because of cosmic ray doses they receive while flying.
A recent study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that flight attendants face an elevated risk of cancer compared to members of the general population.
They listed cosmic rays as one of several risk factors. There are also controversial studies that suggest cosmic rays promote the formation of clouds in the atmosphere; if so, increasing cosmic rays could affect weather and climate.
Read more at spaceweatherarchive.com
Trackback from your site.
Joseph Olson
| #
Earth has 800,000 cubic miles of Uranium and 1.2 million cubic miles of Thorium in our molten mantle. Nuclear decay is a function of particle bombardment, fast in a fission bomb, moderate in a nuclear power plant and VARIABLE in the mantle due to variable cosmic rays. Mantle fission produces the variable magnetosphere, giving variable protection to cosmic rays. None of these climate changing factors are controlled by humans, or by CO2.
โEarthโs Missing Geothermal Fluxโ > FauxScienceSlayer
Reply
Scientist
| #
Cosmic rays DO assist cloud formation: https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2018/08/16/nir-shaviv-the-missing-link-between-exploding-stars-clouds-and-climate-on-earth/
Reply
tom0mason
| #
As a counter to all the nasty huff and EMPTY bluster from the proponents of the electric universe, I offer this โ
https://youtu.be/NYoOcaqCzxo , and a reasonable write-up at https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2019/03/01/ways-the-sun-electric-space-weather-change-climate/ .
Reply