Science News, September 15th, 1990
Analyzing polar ice to track solar activity Scientists have a complete, consistent record of solar activity--expressed as the number of sunspots--going back to 1843. Clues to solar activity in even earlier periods come from historical documents containing references to auroras and sunspots. However, despite concerted efforts to extend the sunspot record further, data from the period before 1600 remain incomplete and uncertain. Researchers in Switzerland have now demonstrated that the levels of the radioactive isotope beryllium-10 in samples of polar ice follow variations in solar activity. P...
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