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Cosmic Rays, Global Warming and the Origin of life. Sir Arnold Wolfendale FRS, 14 th Astronomer Royal.
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Topics to be covered. 1. Low Cloud Cover and the CR correlations. 2. Lightning. 3. Origin of life.
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Low cloud cover anomalies and CR intensity (Huancayo) – Svensmark (2007)
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There is a correlation – in time – between ‘cloud cover’, at low altitudes, and ‘cosmic ray intensity’. Is it a case of ‘cause and effect’?
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Cosmic ray ionization Charged cosmic rays produce ionization. Although unlikely, CR ions help the growth of cloud nuclei by attaching to aerosols. Check, first, by examining the cloud cover – CR correlation over the earth. Earth’s magnetic field causes a variation of CR intensity over the surface of the earth. Correlate with CR intensity or sun- spot number.
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Ions as condensation centres for clouds ? But Supersaturations in atmosphere far too low for ions to be at an advantage. Aerosols (salt particles, dust, industrial emissions…) dominate. Sizes 10 -1 (10 ±2 ). ~ ~ CR produce ~ 3 ion pairs cm -3 s -1 in the lower atmosphere. Lifetime is ~ 50sec, so ~ 150cm -3. Clouds have ~ 100 droplets cm -3 so a link would appear to be obvious.
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Evidence from radioactive ‘events’ Chernobyl ~ ~ ~ April 26, 1986 2 Mt of fall-out. No increase in cloud cover. (ions cloud droplets) 3%
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Nuclear Bomb Tests E.g. BRAVO - Bikini Atoll, March1,1954. ~ 15 Mt radioactive particles,10 -100 300 miles from Ground Zero, dose rate ~ 100 Rh -1, after 4 days. Yields 5.10 7 ions cm -1 s -1 Averaging over space and time and allowing for size distribution yields. 10 -4 < ~
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Radon Radon is an important contributor to atmospheric ionization over land. Indian ‘hot spots’, particularly in the SW. Scans of low CC over two regions show no excess and 25% < ~
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Dorman’s rigidity map
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Magnitude of the CC modulation vs. VRCO
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1. Cosmic Rays a. LCC directly (difficult) b. Effect on atmospheric transparency – ht. ~10km (aerosols.) Kudryavstevetal,(2005) c. Electrical effects. CR affect the ‘global atmospheric circuit’ (Tinsley, Harrison, Rycroft…). Cloud edges? Possible explanations for the correlations – i.e. the 11 – year cycle.
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Global mean Surface Temperature: peak to peak 0.07 o c for change in radiation of 0.24Wm -2 Mt. Pinatubo Volcano (1991) Temperature reduction 0.8 deg C. year Change in radiation of 3.6 Wm -2 year A similar ratio (but energies very different): Pinatubo 10 16 J; oceanic change 2.10 22 J, - a factor of 1 million. Also problems with 22y/11y conversion and geographical distribution of temperature change for 11-y cycle. 2. Solar Irradiance
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The ‘atmosphere’
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Tentative Conclusions 3.Solar irradiance variations probably cause the solar cycle (11-year) oscillation. 2.CR contribution to slow increase of mean global temperature over last 35 years < 1%. ~ ~ 1.CR contribution to 11-year cycle variability of mean global temperature < 15%.
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Summary for decadal averages
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“Man made Global Warming”
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Global and continental temperature change
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Man – made Response Imbalance Total Natural Aerosols Ozone CO 2
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F2: Percentage cloud change for a 2% change in CR intensity
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Possible ‘natural causes’ of Global Warming 1. Cosmic Rays 2. Solar Effects 3. Milankovich Effects 4. Geothermal Changes 5. Volcanoes 6. Meteoritic and Cometary Dust 7.Oceanic Heat Re-distribution 8. Past ‘random’ changes. (10,000 y ago)
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Lightning
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Miller (1953) – and Miller & Urey water, methane, ammonia, etc. (the ‘pre-biotic soup’) Amino-acids RNA Monomers
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SNR Model : A.D. Erlykin & AWW (2001)
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On average, every million years, ICR(>10 16 eV) up by ~ 10 5 for ~ 30,000 years. Probably enough to cause a sufficiently large frequency of lightning discharges to cause production of RNA, monomers, etc. in the window : 4.5 – 3.5 By BP.
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After Parman (2009)
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More recently – and more probably – the generation of NO X by lightning will have had relevance to evolution. NO X is welcome to plants and bad for humans.
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