Cosmic Rays and Other Areas of Science

Cosmic rays are affected by a number of weather parameters and solar activity. It is well known that strong magnetic field disturbances caused by strong solar flares influence the flux of primary cosmic rays on earth. The flux of muons on earth surface anti correlates with the barometric pressure. On the other hand cosmic rays are suspected to influence earth's weather systems. Recently cosmic rays are suspected to trigger lightning. Cloud nucleation could also be triggered by cosmic ray activity. This page has links with web sites that contain information on space and terrestrial weather.

Galactic cosmic rays can influence earth climate by inducing cloud formation.

• What is the link between Sunshine, Clouds and Cosmic Rays (by E. Palle Bago and C. J. Butler).
• Influence of Cosmic Rays on Earth Climate
• Cosmic Rays linked to global warming?

This NOVA program discusses the coreelation between atmospheric ionization caused by celestial events and the atmosphere charge gained during an electrical storm. The nature and characteristics of lightning have always been a mystery. Experts still have yet to determine if the theory about corresponding cosmic ray activity is in fact linked to lightning strikes.

Interested in Giant Sprites?. Another related atmospheric phenomenon is called "Sprites." These stikes can be seen from the ground as flashes of light beyond the canopy of the thuderhead cloud base. This is because their leaders never reach the ground. These are known as "cloud-to-cloud" lightning strikes and haven the highest energy of any other type of lightning.

The magnetosphere mainly acts as a protective barrier between the Earth's atmosphere and the particles emitted from the Sun. But it is easily proved that there are still a significant amount of particles that bypass this protective layer, which cause interference with communications systems as well as other related electronic power systems. Read more about this phenomena Satellite

• http://www.spaceweather.com has a lot of information about solar activities, aurora alerts, etc...
• http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/ The SOHO site, The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory - loaded with pictures, movies, and information about the Sun.
• ST5: This new NASA Project, names ST5, will help scientists to better assess the dynamics of the Earth's Magnetosphere and it's reaction to space weather and its interference with our technology.
• Extreme energy ions and the Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor(EPAM) - NOAA
• The Forbush Decrease

• Prof. Mandia's comprehensive weather page
• Weather at Islip from the United States Weather Page
• http://www.bnl.gov/weather/ is the Brookhaven National Laboratory weather station.
• http://www.weather.com/ is the site for the weather channel
• Radar Image from the NOAA radar at Upton, NY
• Tropical Storm Risk Get the latest hurricane/T.S. tracks and intensity
• Long Island Express History of the 1938 Hurricane and what the future holds for Long Island when the next major hurricane strikes