Advice please - Solar storms/ bbc article

[shaula]

I posted this article on my works astronomy forum:

BBC News - Sun storms 'could be more disruptive within decades'

to which a colleague asked the following:

The language used seems counterintuitive, but I suspect it is just my lack of understanding. Can I ask - if the sun is leaving the grand solar maximum, why will this result in an increase in radiation hitting the Earth?

In my mind, solar activity is linked to decreased stability in the overall magnetosphere of the sun, so that things are generally more turbulent and unpredictable as the ebb and flow of gas/energy becomes, I suppose less laminar. When solar flares and sun spots do occur I would have thought these are on a greater scale than at the solar minimum (of the 11 yr cycle). This is extremely simplistic and is how I can best understand what we know about solar dynamics.

Does the grand solar cycle work differently?

I have no idea!! not familiar with this area at all, can someone answer this please....?

Thanks

Claire

[Bladeflyer]

Not my area of knowledge, but the article says...

A decline in solar activity also allows more radiation from other parts of the galaxy to enter the Solar System.

Not a full answer, but a start I think?

[Capricorn]

Going to say something, then disagree with it.

The assumption is that solar activity in the form of solar storms is directly related to sun spot activity. What ambles through my mind is a nice big flare that causes a solar storm does not seem to need a sunspot. Just a bit bigger bang then normal on the sun somewhere. Saw someone getting a good video and creating a good HA image of a flare at Sidmouth a 2 or 3 years back and there wasn't a sunspot in sight for a year or two before or after.

However it is generally understood/known, perhaps erronously, that solar activity and sun spots go hand in hand. Or at least are very coincident with each other.

I wonder if someone has said that on an 11 years cycle we would be coming down off of a maximum now, and yet solar storm activity is picking up.

If the sun stuck to a 11 years cycle it could be correct. Just it didn't and there isn't much we can do about it.