Alan Cheetham drew my attention to a post on his blog, showing the close relationship between geomagnetic field strength, and rate of temperature change (warming in the N Hemisphere and cooling in the S Hemisphere). The idea is that the the effect of cosmic rays on the Earth’s temperature by seeding low clouds, will be most apparent where the magnetic field is weakest. Maps of the geomagnetic field show an uncanny correlation with ‘recent warming’ (UAH 1978-2006):

For good measure, here is the geographic map of RSS trends (from ClimateChangeSkeptic).

Bearing in mind the north pole is a small area of low magnetic field strength, straddled between two areas of the lowest field strength, the theory would predict greater warming in that area.

I presume warming in the north and cooling in the south is due to the polarity of the magnetic field. Its hard to look at correspondences like these and not be convinced that the recent warming is due to magnetic-field sensitive cosmic rays.

The hallmark of a correct theory, is that it not only explains with greater clarity the main features in its domain, but it also explains other effects that had puzzled people for a long time, resolving questions that were not anticipated. Is that whats happening here?

Here’s a challenge — describe an appropriate methodology for calculating the significance of this correspondence, and calculate its value.

Alan Cheethams blog