ITS THE SUN STUPID
People have been trying to tag Earth weather patterns to the various solar patterns, the 11-year sunspot cycle, the solar magnetic cycle of 22 years, the 80 year long small variations in the sunspot cycle, a cycle with a length of about 180 years that is becoming apparent from long term data, since the early 1800's.
Every theory tends to start to come apart as long term observations and more data come available. The sun, aparently in relation to humanity's existence, is pretty stable. Yes, the sun changes, over the course of hundreds of millions of years, in a lifetime measured in billions of years. The effects on Earth have much more to do with Earth's orbit changing over time as it orbits the sun, and less on the sun itself. The Earth is a wobbling ball whose orbit eccentricity, tilt, and other parameters change over time have bigger effects than the sun itself.
People really do not have a sense of the difference in scale at work here.
As a comparison:
Age of the universe about 13,700,000,000 years or so.
Age of the sun/solar system 4,560,000,000 years old
How much longer the sun has 4,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000 years left as a main sequence star.
Precambrian Era in history about 4,500,000,000 to 543,000,000 years. Oldest rocks, reducing atmosphere transition to oxygen, oldest fossils.
The earliest documented ice age 850,000,000 to 630,000,000 years ago (the Cryogenian period).
Paleozoic Era ran from about 543,000,000 to 248,000,000 years. Start with explosion of multi-celled life, ends it 90% of all species wiped out.
A Mini Ice Age was recorded about 460,000,000 to 430,000,000 years ago.
There was extensive ice caps from 350,000,000 to 260,000,000 years ago.
Pangea beak up spans between 250,000,000 and 60,000,000 years ago
Mesozoic Era ran from about 248,000,000 to 65,000,000 years ago. Hi Dino. Bye Bye Dino.
Sun's orbit about the galaxy about 225,000,000 to 250,000,000 years to complete one revolution.
Cenozoic Era ran from about 65,000,000 years to today
Primates go back to the Paleocene 60,000,000 years ago.
The first Antarctic ice formed about 40,000,000 years - this also marks the start of the "current" Ice Age, with glaciation periods occurring on 40,000 and 100,000 year cycles. Yes, we are IN a geological ice age period now, in an interglacial period which should last another 14,000 years.
Homo habilis goes back to around 2,600,000 to 1,500,000 years ago, along with stone tools.
Earth's Milankovitch Cycles occur about 450,000 years (Orbital variation cycles combine and compound influence).
Homo Sapiens have been around for 250,000 years.
Earth's Eccentricity Cycle around the sun 95,000 years changes from a thin ellipse (oval) to a circle and back again
Modern man is roughly considered to be 50,000 years ago with burials, bone tools, and clothing.
Earth's Obliquity Cycle runs on about a 42,000 year cycle (the earth wobbles and the angle of the axis, with respect to the plane of revolution around the sun, varies between 22.1° and 24.5°)
Earth's Precession Cycle running about 21,000 year cycle (axial tilt toward and away from sun during orbit).
The last glacial period ended around 10,000 years ago. Should last another 14,00 years. The next Ice Age expected in 50,000 years due to Earth's orbit.
Recorded history goes back approximately 6,000 years.
If it were truly the sun at work here, we, as a species, would be totally screwed. If it were an Earth orbit cycle, it would be readily apparent --- no it's not an Earth cycle effect at work on our atmosphere and environment. That leaves environment. At least the environment we have a chance to positively influence to our benefit.
