CU-NASA Research Center to Study Sun’s Effects on Earth’s Climate
Image of sun courtesy of NASA. |
The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., today announced the formation of a new collaborative research center dedicated to the study of the sun’s effect on Earth’s climate.
The center, called the Sun-Climate Research Center, or SCRC, will be co-directed by LASP Research Scientist Peter Pilewskie as well as Robert Cahalan, who heads Goddard’s Climate and Radiation Branch, and Douglas Rabin, head of Goddard’s Solar Physics Laboratory.
“The exciting thing about this collaboration is that we believe it will promote studies to help answer key questions about the climate system, including how Earth’s atmosphere responds to the sun’s variability and how that affects climate,” said Pilewskie, a faculty member in CU-Boulder’s atmospheric and oceanic sciences department. “This question is particularly important now as we seek to quantify the human-induced impact on Earth’s climate.”
Made possible by a Federal Space Act Agreement, SCRC will foster collaboration between Earth-atmosphere and solar sciences at the two institutions. Opportunities will include a scientist exchange program between the organizations and the ability for postdoctoral scientists and graduate students in science, engineering and mission operations to move between LASP and Goddard. The partnership also will include international research symposia on sun-climate interactions.
“In recent years Goddard and LASP have worked together on several Earth and sun missions,” said Cahalan. “Now we look forward to continuing to drive growth in this key interdisciplinary field of sun-Earth research, bringing new focus to the study of multiyear changes in the sun and its influence on Earth’s climate.”
According to the center’s co-directors, the SCRC represents a rare and innovative step that underscores LASP’s ability to take its high-caliber research and program opportunities to a new level with Goddard.
“LASP has developed some remarkable areas of expertise that are key to studying the sun and its effect on climate and on human activities,” said LASP Director Daniel Baker. “By working with our colleagues at Goddard, we can leverage our skills and help take an important step toward greater cooperation between NASA centers and leading university research teams.”
For more information on LASP visit lasp.colorado.edu/home/. For more information on NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center visit www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html.
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What’s the betting that their real aim is to debunk Svensmark’s theory and that they’ll use lots of models to do it? Better than even, I’d say
Poor misguided young fools.
We already that it is CO2.
Sol makes no diff.
But maybe….
Interesting. There seems to be a coordinated ‘renewal’ exercise under way. A similar press release is about to come from London:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/1298/met_office_and_leading_uk_universities_launch_academic_partnership
Looks like CRU and the UEA might be getting the boot finally.
I can’t help feeling if they had decided to do this 10 years ago they would have saved us all a lot of time, hassle, money, and heartache.
I fear John A may be right, however. But let’s wait and see.
Sun has not effect on Earth’s climate. Only man has. The debate is over. Period.
This is great! So NASA thinks maybe the sun influences the Earth’s climate? NASA has always had the best and brightest. Leave it up to them to come up with an idea like this. An idea that’s so crazy it just might be true.
Seriously, who could have guessed it? The Sun. Climate. Brilliant!
This uneducated layman can give these science types a head start with 3 pointers.
1-) The sun is a variable star.
2-) There is MORE to the sun than just TSI
3-) The sun is to the earth as the stove element is to the pot.
There endeth the lesson.
They will conclude that, rising CO2 in earths atmosphere affects the heat output of the sun, and hence causes gobal warming, probably.
Will they figure out that ENSO is fueled by and ultimately driven by downward shortwave radiation and that the ENSO discharge and the ENSO recharge and redistribution phases represent most of the rise in global temperatures over the 20th century?
…help answer key questions about the climate system … as we seek to quantify the human-induced impact on Earth’s climate.
Sounds like business as usual… perhaps with a twist of lemon… ever been threaten with Boy are you in trouble – just wait until your father gets home! when you were a kid…. so I guess they are moving on to Boy are you in trouble – just wait until the Sun wakes up!
I’ll bet my last dollar that the outcome has already been decided and that this study is just a way to make that outcome appear scientific.
I clicked on the link provided by Tallbloke; I read as far as the name Beddington and an alarm went on to red alert! in my brain; my concentration failed and wouldn’t respond to a reboot. I will have to go back and read the link right through after I have had a quiet luncheon and a lie-down.
🙂
Hmm, studying to see if the sun impacts the climate! Ya think?!
And the truth shall set you free! (from carbon slavery)
http://www.spinonthat.com/CO2_files/The_Diurnal_Bulge_and_the_Fallacies_of_the_Greenhouse_Effect.html
Baa Humbug says:
November 30, 2010 at 4:26 am
As there are no relativistic neutrinos, black holes, or trans-dimensional strings in your assertion, it won´t be accepted by “settled science” and you risk to be anathematized.
Both Exeter and Reading have form on CAGW advocacy, and the Met Office record is well-known. Look for the migration of the usual suspects from East Anglia and CRU into the new setup.
QUOTE: “Now we look forward to continuing to drive growth in this key interdisciplinary field of sun-Earth research……….” TRANSLATION: “We just created a new entity to be institutionalized and fed from now and forever with taxpayer dollars.” Let’s hope their research will be objective and useful, not agenda driven.
Why do Americans say ‘Center’, and not ‘Centre’, when they are happy saying ‘Tire’ and not ‘Tier’? Just a thought from a Englishman.
[Reply] You say Tomarto I say Tomato
The first thought that comes to mind is “It’s about time!” Honestly, my dog and cat know the sun influences their climate. How hard can this be? Maybe these guys can work out the details.
While they are at it, why not look at the Sun’s effect on the ozone hole. There definitely is some problems with those CFC falsehoods as well.
I read the link at tallbloke’s post and found the following gem:-
“.. better, more detailed computer models that will have a positive impact on society.”
Then I gave up. It’s more of the same lunacy, I fear.
Ridiculous. If the sun had any influence, nighttime would be cooler than daytime. Preposterous.
/SARC ON/
Why does the Sun issue keep coming back into the discussions. It is almost irrelevant. As for water vapour forget it. The main driver of global mean temps is toxic CO2. The debate is over.
/SARC OFF/
I sometimes imagine if we removed the Sun tomorrow would we feel warmer, cooler or just stay about the same? :o)
John A has it right, NASA takes every opportunity to ‘prove’AGW and bin Svensmark’s theory, which I think is excellent and probably correct since it is based on observation of the real world not some model.
Why do Americans say ‘Center’, and not ‘Centre’, when they are happy saying ‘Tire’ and not ‘Tier’? Just a thought from a Englishman
Just as they say “elevator” because they can’t be bothered to say “lift”, and it’s easier to say “transportation” than it is to say “‘bus”, “car”, or “train”……