Medieval Warm Period
Topic: Climate Change: Causes, Evidence and the Global Response · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 11 "World Climate and Climate Change"
Meaning
The Medieval Warm Period was a fairly warm and dry phase in Europe, dated about 950–1250. The 10th and 11th centuries were especially warm. It shows that climate rose and fell naturally even in historical times, long before industry. Like the Little Ice Age, it was regional and smaller than today's global warming.
Example
During this warm spell, the Vikings from Scandinavia sailed west and settled in Greenland. Milder conditions made farming and herding possible there for a time.
Don't confuse with
- Little Ice Age: the cool period that came later (1550 to about 1850), when glaciers advanced and the Thames froze.
- Present global warming: today's warming affects the whole globe and is driven by human greenhouse gas emissions. The Medieval Warm Period was natural and mainly regional.