Solar radiation variations

• Global dimming is a reduction in the amount of incoming solar energy, resulting from an increase of aerosol particles in the atmosphere (pollution, dust, volcanic eruptions).
• Global dimming includes particulates acting as condensation nuclei for water droplets that form clouds. These droplets are smaller and ore numerous that normal clouds and so reflect more sunlight back into the atmosphere.
• An example of global dimming is the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 which caused a dip in global temperatures.
• Sunspots are small dark spots on the sun that emit high amounts of solar radiation, and raise global temperatures.
• Milankovitch cycles are variations in the orbit of the earth around the sun.
• The Milankovich cycle has three components; axial tilt, precession and eccentricity.