An American study has shown a link between activities on the surface of the sun and weather conditions on Earth, Small changes in the sun’s (1) brightness can produce effects on Earth, resembling two weather events in warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. The two events are (2) commonly known as La Nina and El Nino. Reports say the study may (3) lead to better predictions of temperatures, rainfall and the intensity of weather systems.
Scientists measure solar activities by counting dark areas on the sun’s surface. These sun spots produce (4) sort of linkbursts of energy. Other scientists have shown that sun spot activities can be measured in periods of time that last about 11 years. The total energy reaching Earth from the sun rises and falls by just (5) one tenth of one percent across this solar cycle.
In the new study, scientists (6) cautiously examined more than 100 years of ocean temperature records. They also used computer programs designed to reproduce the world’s climate. They found the highest levels of solar activities cause small, but (7) far-reaching effects on weather systems around the world. These periods of high activity are known a solar maximum. A report says that at maximum activity, the small increase in sunshi
ne over several years causes a small temperature increase in Earth’s (8) atmosphere. This is especially true in cloud-free areas of the Pacific. The extra heat is enough to cause ocean waters to (9) evaporate into the air. This wet air is then carried by trade winds to the (10) normally rainy areas of the western Pacific, near the Equator. This creates more rainfall.