Maunderminimum

A period of greatly reduced sunspot activity in the years 1645-1715 is called the Maunder Minimum.

It is named after English astronomer Edward Walter Maunder, who recognized the low number of sunspots that period afterwards. Sunspots were first systematically observed just before the Maunder Minimum, so no expectations were made ​​at that time with respect to their frequency; only in retrospect could be recognized that the condition differs significantly from the year 1715 1645-1715.

The Maunder Minimum coincided with the coldest years of the Little Ice Age, occurred during the many very cold winter in Europe, North America and China. Records from other parts of the world are not detailed enough to generalize this statement.

With the reduced sunspot activity was accompanied by a decreased intensity of radiation. Therefore, the planet cooled down a little, the global average temperature decreased.

Using a coupled climate model was simulated, the impact would have a solar minimum future in the amount of the Maunder Minimum. In a scenario adopted, caused by greenhouse gas warming by 4 degrees by the end of the 21st century a weaker sun of this magnitude would lower the average global temperature by 0.3 degrees.

The Maunder Minimum was preceded by the Wolf minimum around 1300 and the Spörerminimum in the 15th century.