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air pressure
August 2008 
expanding atmosphere
Posted on Aug 1st, 2008
by 
kestrel
kestrel
National Geographic, October 1990, page 86:
"In 1986 the number of sunspots reached a minimum, as predicted. Shortly after, there began a rapid increase in sunspots - greater than in any previous solar cycle of this century. Scientists expected the upturn to continue until the next peak in 1990 or '91, but an unforeseen hazard put the Solar Max project in peril.
"As the sun's activity increased, it warmed the outermost fringe of the earth's atmosphere slightly, causing it to expand. The added drag began to slow the satellite, and it dropped in its orbit by a few kilometers. Instead of circling the planet at least until 1991, Solar Max began tumbling in August 1989, and by early December ended its life as a fireball of blazing metal in the sky."
My questions are: Will global warming also expand the atmosphere? If so, what are the implications? Will / are the orbits of satellites affected? Will / is air pressure affected?
"In 1986 the number of sunspots reached a minimum, as predicted. Shortly after, there began a rapid increase in sunspots - greater than in any previous solar cycle of this century. Scientists expected the upturn to continue until the next peak in 1990 or '91, but an unforeseen hazard put the Solar Max project in peril.
"As the sun's activity increased, it warmed the outermost fringe of the earth's atmosphere slightly, causing it to expand. The added drag began to slow the satellite, and it dropped in its orbit by a few kilometers. Instead of circling the planet at least until 1991, Solar Max began tumbling in August 1989, and by early December ended its life as a fireball of blazing metal in the sky."
My questions are: Will global warming also expand the atmosphere? If so, what are the implications? Will / are the orbits of satellites affected? Will / is air pressure affected?
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