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The sun undergoes a cycle of increased and decreased activity over a period of approximately 11 years.
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TMA 02 S269 Question One (a) The sun undergoes a cycle of increased and decreased activity over a period of approximately 11 years. The difference of incident radiation is quite small, in 1979 at the peak of activity the solar flux was only 0.2% higher than that of the minimum solar flux during that cycle in 1983. Increases in activity are monitored by measuring the percentage of the sun's surface covered by sun spots. Although sunspots are relatively cold areas on the sun's surface they are accompanied by faculae which are areas of intense activity. These can be visualised using X-ray photography, and the total solar flux reaching the Earth is measured using a satellite borne radiometer. (b) The Earth's orbit around the sun is not circular and neither is it regular. Over a period of 110,000 years the orbit migrates from being almost circular to a greater degree of eccentricity to being...
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