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Medieval Warm Period

Global average temperatures show that the Medieval Warm Period was not a global phenomenon.[1]

The Medieval Warm Period (MWP), also known as the Medieval Climate Optimum or the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region that lasted from about 950 CE to about 1250 CE.[2] Climate proxy records show peak warmth occurred at different times for different regions, which indicate that the MWP was not a globally uniform event.[3] Some refer to the MWP as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly to emphasize that climatic effects other than temperature were also important.[4][5]

The MWP was followed by a regionally cooler period in the North Atlantic and elsewhere, which is sometimes called the Little Ice Age (LIA).

Possible causes of the MWP include increased solar activity, decreased volcanic activity, and changes in ocean circulation.[6] Modelling evidence has shown that natural variability is insufficient on its own to explain the MWP and that an external forcing had to be one of the causes.[7]

  1. ^ Hawkins, Ed (January 30, 2020). "2019 years". Climate Lab Book. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. The data show that the modern period is very different to what occurred in the past. The often quoted Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age are real phenomena, but small compared to the recent changes.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference global lia mwp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Solomon, Susan Snell; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007). "6.6 The Last 2,000 Years". Climate change 2007: the physical science basis: contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. ISBN 978-0-521-70596-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Box 6.4 Archived 2015-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference bradley(2003) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ladurie(1971) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "How does the Medieval Warm Period compare to current global temperatures?". SkepticalScience. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  7. ^ Hunt, B. G. (May 11, 2006). "The Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age and simulated climatic variability". Climate Dynamics. 27 (7–8): 677–694. Bibcode:2006ClDy...27..677H. doi:10.1007/s00382-006-0153-5. ISSN 0930-7575. S2CID 128890550. Retrieved September 5, 2023.

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