A new study accurately captures solar irradiance, which is crucial to understand the energetics and radiation balance of Earth and its influences on the cryosphere, atmosphere, and ocean currents.
Solar variability
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Drivers of Upper Atmosphere Climate Change
New research confirms the influence of carbon dioxide on long-term temperature trends in the upper atmosphere, but changes in Earth’s magnetic field also play a key role.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The “Complicated” Complexity of Solar Storms
Researchers turned to crowdsourced science to identify patterns in coronal mass ejections.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Observational Data Validate Models of Sun’s Influence on Earth
Using a combination of independent models and observations over multiple timescales, scientists verify two important models that gauge the amount of solar radiation Earth receives.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Thermosphere Responds to a Weaker Than Normal Solar Cycle
Infrared emissions from nitric oxide and carbon dioxide in Earth’s upper atmosphere, which are closely tied to incoming solar radiation, are drastically lower than in the previous solar cycle.
Posted inScience Updates
Better Data for Modeling the Sun’s Influence on Climate
Several international initiatives are working to stitch together data describing solar forcing of Earth’s climate. Their objective is to improve understanding of climate response to solar variability.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Medieval Temperature Trends in Africa and Arabia
A synthesis of paleotemperature reconstructions from published case studies suggests warm onshore temperatures persisted across most of Afro-Arabia between 1000 and 1200 CE.
Posted inScience Updates
Giovanni: The Bridge Between Data and Science
Using satellite remote sensing data sets can be a daunting task. Giovanni, a Web-based tool, facilitates access, visualization, and exploration for many of NASA’s Earth science data sets.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Model of Solar Cycle's Impact on Climate Gets Upgrade
A new model of how the Sun's 11-year cycle affects climate leads to slight changes in model results on atmospheric chemistry, but temperature and wind results are consistent with the previous model.
Posted inScience Updates
Rapid Coordination Extends Space-Based Sun-Climate Record
Faced with the prospect of a large data gap in solar irradiance records, scientists take steps to ensure that this key climate variable stays monitored.