Solar activity, the Earth’s climate and human culture, all undergo change. An increasing number of paleoclimate records, for example in ice-cores, ocean sediments, lake levels, and tree-rings, suggest a solar contribution to past climate change. Furthermore, comparisons of paleoclimate records with archeological evidence of past human cultures suggests that solar- driven climate change may have contributed to the prosperity and demise of various civilizations, for example in the Yucatan and East Africa.

The 3rd Annual SORCE Science Meeting will concentrate on both the empirical evidence and physical processes that link the sun, climate, and culture in the distant past.

To read more, see the March 2005 newsletter.