Published in ERW, 25 Oct 2012
There is no straightforward relationship between cloud cover and solar variability, according to physicists in Europe who have searched for links over a 25-year period. The researchers say that solar effects are probably not visible globally, and should therefore be sought at a regional level in future studies.
The debate on the extent to which clouds are affected by solar variability – such as the 11-year-long solar cycle – has gone on for several decades. Clouds can cool regional climate, so if their overall long-term prevalence is affected by the Sun, that mechanism ought to be included in climate models. […]
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