Maunder Minimum

The Maunder Minimum refers to a period of time between 1645 and 1715 when solar activity was extremely low. Contemporary scientists examined recorded data from the time and discovered that there were significantly fewer solar flares during those years. The Maunder Minimum coincided with the Little Ice Age, a period of worldwide low temperatures.

Fast Facts

1. Period of extremely low solar activity
2. Measured by the amount of solar flares in a given period
3. Typical flares in a 30-year period: 40,000-50,000
4. Documented flares during Maunder Minimum: About 50
5. Low amounts of flares means less solar radiation and colder temperatures on Earth¹
6. Time period matched up with the coldest portion of the Little Ice Age (1650-1714)

Modern Implications

Scientists have measured a dip in present-day solar flare activity, and suggest that we may be heading into a new Maunder Minimum period. Although natural defenses and the Greenhouse Effect will prevent catastrophic global freezing, predictions suggest that drastically lowered temperatures could last for decades.²

Categories