Little Ice Age (LIA) was wet (moist) and was not uniformly cold and dry

Source: The post is based on the article “Little Ice Age (LIA) was wet (moist) and was not uniformly cold and dry” published in “PIB” on 20th October 2023

What is the News?

A study was conducted in Western Ghats to understand the variations of rainfall patterns during the Little Ice Age.

What is the Little Ice Age?

The Little Ice Age was a period of cooler climate conditions that occurred roughly between CE 1671-1942.

What is the purpose of the study?

The Western Ghats region in India experiences two main monsoons: the southwest summer monsoon (SWM) from June to September and the northeast winter monsoon (NEM) from October to December.

The study aims to understand how vegetation and climate changed in Western Ghats region influenced by both monsoons during the last millennium.

What are the key findings of the study?

The study has found the presence of moist conditions during the Little Ice Age (LIA) in the Western Ghats.This is likely due to increased northeast winter monsoon (NEM) influence. 

These findings indicate that the Little Ice Age (LIA) period was also wet (moist) and was not uniformly cold and dry.

Factors Influencing Climate Change: The study suggested several factors that may have contributed to this climate change and increased southwest summer monsoon (SWM).

– These factors include: northward movement of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), positive temperature anomalies, increased sunspot numbers and high solar activity.

Weakest Phase of Indian Summer Monsoon Explained: The study attributed the weakest phase of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) across the Indian subcontinent during the LIA to the southward shift of the ITCZ.