ACR | Anomalous Cosmic Ray |
ACRIM | Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor |
AMO | Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation |
CERN | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CME | Coronal mass ejection |
cosmic ray | Highly energetic atomic nucleus that travels through space at nearly the speed of light |
Dalton Minima | A period of low solar activity lasting from 1790 to 1830 and named after John Dalton |
ENSO | El Niño-Southern Oscillation |
EPP | Energizing precipitating particle |
Forcing | An externally imposed perturbation in the radiative energy budget of Earth’s climate system. Also called radiative forcing. |
GCM | Global climate model |
GCR | Galactic cosmic ray |
Hadley cell | Atmospheric circulation with rising motion near the equator, poleward flow, and sinking motion in the subtropics |
Little Ice Age | A cooling period from 1550 to 1850 |
Maunder Minimum | A period of low solar activity lasting from 1645 to 1715 and named after Edward W. Maunder |
Milankovitch cycle | Long-term changes in Earth’s orbit that in turn affect its climate over long periods of time |
NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
NRC | National Research Council |
NSF | National Science Foundation |
Photosphere | Visible surface of the Sun |
PREMOS | Precision Monitoring Sensor experiment onboard the PICARD French microsatellite mission |
QBO | Quasi-biennial oscillation |
SBUV | Solar backscatter ultraviolet |
SEP | Solar energetic particle |
SIM | Spectral Irradiance Monitor |
SOLSTICE | Solar Stellar Intercomparison Experiment |
SORCE | Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment |
SPE | Solar proton event |
Spörer minimum | A period of low solar activity lasting from 1460 to 1550 and named after Gustav Spörer |
SSI | Solar spectral irradiance |
SST | Sea surface temperature |
TIM | Total Irradiance Monitor |
TSI | Total solar irradiance |