Anthony Mengotto in a comment brought up and interesting point, the sun is growing quiet, while volcanism is increasing. I have always wondered it there was a connection. Does vulcanism fluctuate with the increase and decrease of sunspots? The Smithsonian/USGS Weekly reports go back to the winter of 2000, which covers the Solar Cycle 23 peak and Solar Cycle 24 peak. This data allowed me to take a median date for the peaks and compare with the number of active volcanos. I did the same for Solar Cycle 23 minimum and the most recent measurement as Solar Cycle 24 seeks the minimum. The results are in the chart below.
It looks like there could be a relationship, high spots lower vulcanism, fewer spots higher vulcanism.
I picked the mid-point of the high spot count and low spots just to test the idea. There was a lot of variation in the numbers, so a more valid analysis might be to pick four fixed points in each year and plot the results on a graph of the sunspots. Plus, minimum is not until 2019 -2020. I will use this analysis as a Python learning project, so stay tuned.
Readers thoughts are most welcome.
Update: this is the chart that got me thinking about grand minimums and volcanos:
The Next Grand Minimum 
Interestingly, volcanism has long been correlated with global cooling. Major events (i.e. collapse of empires and civilizations) throughout our history have been linked to major volcanic eruptions. Perhaps if grand solar minimums and volcanism are linked then that might explain why the Maunder Minimum was so devastating and powerful…and that we may have to deal with that in the near future in addition to the grand solar minimum.
I think the question is what physical phenomena work to create the correlation between sunspots (or lack of sunspots) and volcanic activity. What is (or needs to be) more fully investigated is the interaction of the magnetic fields of the Sun and Earth. Dr. Valentina Zharkova has posited a double dynamo or dual magnetic wave model that causes fluctuations in the level of sunspot activity and those fields may affect earthquake and volcanic activity on earth. Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2015-07-irregular-heartbeat-sun-driven-dynamo.html#jCp
Russ, I think you may just have verified what John L. Casey talked about in this most recent video on the you tube channel called, The Grand Solar Minimum Channel. If you have some time, I think you, and your reader’s may find it interesting as to what John L. Casey talked about earthquakes, and volcanos and the connection with both during solar minimums. Here is the link to that video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbzq6XB4Ww0 We are living in a time where the climate can cool very rapidly if major volcanos start erupting during the 2019-2021 years of solar minimum.
Anthony,
Thanks for the tip to the John Casey Interview. I have already down loaded his book Upheaval while listening to the video. I want to know more about the severe earthquake and volcano eruptions during grand minimums. There should be some more historical evidence in the archaeological record, and it might be worth the time to look. I have a list of global volcano eruptions, the problem with the list is that there are so many “unknown” dates. But, will try to collect the know dates and see if there is any correlation with the grand minimums. I also want to do some more research on a double peak solar cycle preceding a cold period. The interview sure stimulated my thinking processes. Thanks again for the link and the heads up to this information on the possible link between the lack of sunspots and increases in vulcanism and according to Casey earthquakes. It is going to be a busy weekend.
Subject has been well researched. Electricity is the dominant force in the universe. Earth is a large capacitor which charges and discharges in synchronicity with the 11 year solar cycle. The earth capacitor discharges during solar minimum manifesting in the form of increased seismic and volcanic activity. Onset of mini ice age is sudden as ash from erupting super volcanoes block already diminished solar energy from reaching earth and temperatures plummet. Increase in meteors, asteroids, comets results from contracting heliosphere. The prevailing theory of a thermonuclear core for the solar dynamo is in gross error and is unsupported fantasy. The sun has a large planetary core surrounded by a sea of liquid hydrogen. Thus the sun is an ideal superconductor. Powerful magnetic forces displaced from the sun’s planetary core by the Meissner Effect sustain the thin plasma sheath called the photosphere. Sunspots are actually holes blown in the photosphere from whence excess hydrogen gas is expelled. More, much more for those unencumbered by establishment misinformation.
Robert,
Some interesting claims, could you please provide some links to the research that supports your views.
Your “lying” eyes. The power of suggestion should not be taken lightly. When “authority” speaks the senses are not taken seriously.
http://www.isf.astro.su.se/
Volcanic activity is a response to what is happening deep inside the earth, and there is a delay that will likely shift the correlation between sunspot activity and cooler periods of climate. And don’t overlook the matter of the relative volume and geographic location of volcanic ash and gases – and their composition – and not simply the number of active volcanoes during any period of ‘increased’ activity.