Why do sunspots increase and decrease in regular 11-year cycles and what would happen if they didnt?
Sunspots are a visible signature of the sun’s magnetic field. They mark regions where strong magnetic fields either come out of or go back into the sun. THe Sun’s magnetic field is generated in the region just below the surface called the convection zone where the gas churns around (convects) bringing heat up from below. We don’t really know why this region builds up the field and then reverses it every eleven years — using helioseismolgy we’ve monitored this region for not quite a solar cycle, so our understanding is improving. We do know that in the 17th century (from about 1620 to 1700) the sun had very few sunspots and didn’t have an eleven year cycle; the 11 year cycle has been observed since about 1720. So the sun can behave in different ways. Why? I wish I knew. Dr.
