Exam (elaborations)
Geog 131 Questions answers latest update
- Course
- GEOG 131
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- University Of Tennessee - Knoxville
Geog 131 Questions answers latest update
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Geog 131Medieval Warm Period - An interval between AD 800 and 1300 in which relatively
warm conditions are said to have prevailed in various parts of the world, though
predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere
This warming thereby allowed Vikings to travel further north than had been
previously possible because of reductions in sea ice and land ice in the Arctic.
The interval was concurrent with Norse explorations of the New World, the
founding of Norse settlements in Iceland and Greenland, and increased
agricultural productivity and crop diversity in northern Europe. Some
paleoclimatologists and historians claim that the pleasant conditions of the MWP
allowed the settlements in Iceland and Greenland to prosper and Norse explorers
to venture to the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland to hunt and fish. They
interpret records of bountiful harvests over much of Europe to mean that the
region benefited from a series of extended summers and mild winters. As proof of
warmer average temperatures in northern Europe, they cite the existence of
wheat cultivation and vineyards at latitudes and elevations that were far higher
than today.
Possible causes
Many scientists arguing for the existence of the MWP have noted that the interval
was characterized by an increase in incoming solar radiation paired with a relative
absence of volcanic activity. (Aerosols expelled from volcanic eruptions have been
shown to block a portion of incoming sunlight.) The combination of both
phenomena would contribute to an increase in air temperatures. Some scientists
, have also attributed warmer air temperatures in the North Atlantic region to the
delivery of warmer seawater (heated by solar radiation unimpeded by volcanic
aerosols) by the Gulf Stream and other currents.
Collapse of Mayan Civilization - Around this time, they found, severe reductions in
rainfall were coupled with an rapid rate of deforestation, as the Mayans burned
and chopped down more and more forest to clear land for agriculture.
Little Ice Age - Colonies collapsed by the fourteenth century, due to a multiplicity
of factors, including environmental degradation resulting from agriculture, the
cooler climate of the Little Ice Age (1300-1870), which closed the boat channels,
cutting off trade contact with Norway/Iceland.
Because of their substandard agricultural production (overgrazing), the Norse
partially relied on trade with European countries. Colder temperatures further
decreased the growing season, leaving settlers and their livestock at risk of
famine. Deforestation intensified as wood was sought after to warm homes.
Colder temperatures also closed the channels that brought the Norse, cutting off
their contact with Europe, and the crucial supplies they provided.
Medieval Warm Period: Warmer temperatures melted ice, opening the
Northwest Passage to boat travel. Warmer temperatures allowed settlers to set
up European-style farming and other forms of agriculture. While the land was not
ideal for agriculture, because low quality soil, relatively short growing season and
still cool temperatures, their livelihoods were supplemented through trade with
European ships able to pass through open sea channels.
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