Solar cycle 24 was a slow starter. Until the end of 2010 it looked as if the cycle could become the smallest in at least a century. In 2011 cycle 24 has finally displayed quite a bit of activity, and after august 2011 there has been a strong increase in solar flux. Currently cycle 24 is developing similarly to another slow starter, cycle 10, and there's a chance the cycle could become significantly stronger than the current consensus.
A number of previous cycles have been selected for comparison with cycle 24. While cycle 10 is the one to reach the highest peak and the one that currently tracks cycle 24 best, the weaker cycles 12 and 14 may be better long term comparisons. The chart below displays the development of all those cycles during their 10 first years.
The X axis in the chart is the number of months from the start of a cycle, while the Y axis is the international monthly smoothed sunspot number.
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| [Solar Terrestrial Activity Report] [Graphical comparison solar cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24] |