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555-605 Level|   Weaken|         
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nitya34
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My pic is C
If other evidence can be used to predict the whether then there is no need of sunspot activity.
sunspot activity can still be used to double check however there is no improvement in forecasts
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CN: meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.

-- This option says meteorologists already know this relationship from other source of information. So forecast will not improve.
This is the correct answer.
This question baffled me initially. Thanks for taking interest in this post guys.
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I also go for C. Lets follow POE approach
A , D--> Irrelevant
C --> Keep it
B --> at most it strengthen the argument
E--> No way related
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C makes most sense.

If meteorologist has already been able to forecast weather conditions with other evidences than saying that sunspot activity will help M to improve the forecast is weakened.
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Quote:
After observing the Earth’s weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth’s weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Conclusion: Meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun.

Quote:
(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
Out of scope. Nothing about improvement of weather forecasts.

Quote:
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth’s weather.
Scientist's establishment does not matter. Out of scope.

Quote:
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
This is directly countering the conclusion. Correct.

Quote:
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
Reason for sun's 11-year cycle is immaterial.

Quote:
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.
This options gives no relation between weather forecasts and wind patterns/Sun cycles.
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nitya34
16. After observing the Earth’s weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth’s weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth’s weather.
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma generis
I do not find the option C convincing enough....

Although there are evidences other than sunspot activity that have previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity ,
information about the sunspot activity can improve the weather forecasts .
I dont find option C a weakener....

Can you please throw some light VeritasKarishma generis GMATNinja ?
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nitya34
16. After observing the Earth’s weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth’s weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth’s weather.
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.

GMATNinja VeritasKarishma generis
I do not find the option C convincing enough....

Although there are evidences other than sunspot activity that have previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity ,
information about the sunspot activity can improve the weather forecasts .
I dont find option C a weakener....

Can you please throw some light VeritasKarishma generis GMATNinja ?

In a nutshell, C says that in the PAST meteorologists used some other indicators/source to collect data in order to predict weather and that this NEW finding will provide the same information to predict weather. So it means that nothing will change, and thus meteorologists will not be able to improve their predictions, which will be based on the same but from a different source.

I hope this helps
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nitya34
After observing the Earth’s weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth’s weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth’s weather.
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.


GMATNinja, ThatDudeKnows, DmitryFarber, GMATNinjaTwo, IanStewart, MartyTargetTestPrep, RonPurewal, KarishmaB, MarkSullivan, AjiteshArun, EMPOWERgmatRichC, mikemcgarry, sayantanc2k, TommyWallach :
WRT C, what kind of evidence could it be that links sunspots to winds, apart from sunspot activity itself? Thanks
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StandardizedNerd
WRT C, what kind of evidence could it be that links sunspots to winds, apart from sunspot activity itself? Thanks
Here's (C).

(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.

Notice that (C) doesn't say that the evidence has linked sunspots to winds.

Rather the point of (C) is that, by using the evidence mentioned by (C), meteorologists are already able to predict the weather conditions that they could predict by observing sunspot activity. In other words, (C) indicates that meteorologists can already predict those conditions WITHOUT LINKING THEM TO SUNSPOTS.
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StandardizedNerd
WRT C, what kind of evidence could it be that links sunspots to winds, apart from sunspot activity itself? Thanks
Here's (C).

(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.

Notice that (C) doesn't say that the evidence has linked sunspots to winds.

Rather the point of (C) is that, by using the evidence mentioned by (C), meteorologists are already able to predict the weather conditions that they could predict by observing sunspot activity. In other words, (C) indicates that meteorologists can already predict those conditions WITHOUT LINKING THEM TO SUNSPOTS.

Thank you for your reply, MartyTargetTestPrep! Im afraid I don't fully understand your reply. Let me try again-

What could that evidence be which enabled mets to predict the weather conditions by observing sunspot activities?
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StandardizedNerd
MartyTargetTestPrep
StandardizedNerd
WRT C, what kind of evidence could it be that links sunspots to winds, apart from sunspot activity itself? Thanks
Here's (C).

(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.

Notice that (C) doesn't say that the evidence has linked sunspots to winds.

Rather the point of (C) is that, by using the evidence mentioned by (C), meteorologists are already able to predict the weather conditions that they could predict by observing sunspot activity. In other words, (C) indicates that meteorologists can already predict those conditions WITHOUT LINKING THEM TO SUNSPOTS.

Thank you for your reply, MartyTargetTestPrep! Im afraid I don't fully understand your reply. Let me try again-

What could that evidence be which enabled mets to predict the weather conditions by observing sunspot activities?
The evidence mentioned by (C) is not directly related to sunspot activity. The point is that the evidence mentioned by (C) allows them to predict weather conditions without observing sunspot activity. The whole point of (C) is that they don't need to observe sunspot activity. They can predict the weather fine without being concerned with sunspot activity.
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StandardizedNerd

WRT C, what kind of evidence could it be that links sunspots to winds, apart from sunspot activity itself? Thanks

Perhaps sunspot activity increases tidal activity, and it's really tidal activity that affects wind patterns. If meteorologists have known about the relationship between tides and wind patterns for centuries, then learning that sunspot activity affects wind patterns (indirectly, because sunspots affect tides) won't help meteorologists to better predict the weather, because meteorologists are already accounting for the connection between tides and wind, and the sunspot data is redundant.

Answer C is suggesting a possibility along those lines -- they're already using other data to predict weather that accounts for sunspot effects somehow, so the sunspot information won't let them do their job any better.
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