March 13, 2003
Mother Nature Has A Mind Of Her Own
A Canadian study of drought in the Canadian and Northern US prairie indicates rapid changes in climate in 700 AD. The same researcher's previous work indicated a periodic shift about every 1200 years. They note that similar shifts would pose a challange for society today. Which makes me wonder - sometimes civilizations seem to collapse. Could sudden climate shifts, to much harsher conditions, be the culprit behind some of them? For instance, in 1000 AD there was a flourishing society across the river from St. Louis, cleverly called the Mississippians that up and disappeared. Could it have been the climate? Will we ever know? Anyway, the idea that climate is stable is flat out contradicted by the evidence. It changes, and often abruptly.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at March 13, 2003 12:57 PM | Science
