Published August 20, 2022 | Version v1
Journal article

Split westerlies over Europe in the early Little Ice Age

Others:
High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC) ; National Taiwan University [Taiwan] (NTU)
Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University
Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University
Department of geography, University of California
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research [University of Arizona] (LTRR) ; University of Arizona
Culture et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen-Age (CEPAM) ; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS) ; COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)
Géoazur (GEOAZUR 7329) ; Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur ; COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])
Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique (HNHP) ; Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Fondation I.P.H
Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck
University of Pisa - Università di Pisa
Archaeological Superintendency of Liguria
Toirano Cave, Piazzale D. Maineri 1, Toirano
National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR)
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

Description

Abstract The Little Ice Age (LIA; ca. 1450–1850 C.E.) is the best documented cold period of the past millennium, characterized by high-frequency volcanism, low solar activity, and high variability of Arctic sea-ice cover. Past studies of LIA Atlantic circulation changes have referenced the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), but recent studies have noted that LIA climate patterns appear to possess complexity not captured by an NAO analogue. Here, we present a new precipitation-sensitive stalagmite record from northern Italy that covers the past 800 years. We show that in the early LIA (1470–1610 C.E.), increased atmospheric ridging over northern Europe split the climatological westerlies away from central and northern Europe, possibly caused by concurrent Artic sea-ice reduction. With ongoing ice melting in the northern high latitudes and decreasing solar irradiance in the coming years, the early LIA may potentially serve as an analogue for European hydroclimatic conditions in the coming decades.

Abstract

International audience

Additional details

Created:
December 3, 2022
Modified:
November 30, 2023