May 27, 2009 Journal article Open Access

Evidence of 6 000-Year Periodicity in Reconstructed Sunspot Numbers

Xapsos, M. A.; Burke, E. A.

Reconstructed sunspot data are available that extend solar activity back to 11 360 years before the present. We have examined these data using Hurst analysis, a moving average filter, and Fourier analysis. All of the procedures indicate the presence of a long term (≈6 000 year) cycle not previously reported. A number of shorter cycles formerly identified in the literature by using Fourier analysis, Bayes methods, and maximum entropy methods were also detected in the reconstructed sunspot data.