Mini ice age in a “matter of months”?

Solar Cycles 22, 23 AND 24 – Credit NASA

 

Italian website is concerned about the lack of sunspots.

Here are excerpts:

26 Nov 2018 – Today’s lack of sunspots, characteristic of a solar minimum, could bring record low temperatures, but some experts suggest it could even produce a “mini ice age,” warns this article on mateoweb.eu.

“Something unusual, but perhaps not so unusual on a large scale, is happening to our sun.

THE FUTURE OF SPYING: Earth’s atmosphere can be turned into massive surveillance system using LASERS, scientists discover

BAE systems has created the laser system

 

British firm unveils research which shows that the atmosphere could be used to spy on ordinary citizens in unprecedented detail

BAE Systems are designing a directed energy laser system that could allow military commanders to spy on enemy activities from space.

BAE believe that within 50 years, one of their aircraft could use an “atmospheric lens” to observe people from very long distances using the Earth’s atmosphere as a tool.

China Tests its Largest Airship

This concept art shows China’s 18,000 cubic meter Yuanmeng airship 20km above the ground (and for some reason, off the coast of the Mid Atlantic U.S.). One of the highest flying airships, the Yuanmeng can provide wide area surveillance and communications capability.

 

On October 13, 2015, China started the 24 hour test flight of its largest airship yet in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia. The Yuanmeng has a volume of 18,000 cubic meters, length of 75 meters and 22 meters height. It will fly to 20,000 meters to test its control systems and near space flight performance. With solar panels installed on its top, the Yuanmeng will be one of the largest solar powered airships in existence, using solar power to drive its rotors will save additional weight in order to increase payload. Solar power also gives it a total flight endurance of six months. The Yuanmeng’s 5-7 ton payload of data relays, datalinks, cameras and other sensors would also be powered by the sun.

Subglacial volcanic eruption begins in Iceland

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Iceland raised its aviation alert to red Saturday as a subglacial eruption began at the restless Bardarbunga volcano, which has been rattled by thousands of earthquakes in the past week, the country’s Meteorological Office said.

Seismic data indicated that lava from the volcano was melting ice beneath the Vatnajokull glacier, Iceland’s largest, Met Office vulcanologist Melissa Pfeffer said.

…

The eruption led Iceland to raise its aviation alert level to red, indicating an eruption that could cause “significant emission of ash into the atmosphere.” Red is the highest alert warning on a five-point scale.