Period of unusually cold climate in the North Atlantic region
The Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch was a period of unusually cold climate in the North Atlantic region that lasted about from 1800 BC to 1500 BC.[ 1]
[ 2] It was followed by the Bronze Age Optimum (1500—900 BC).
Greenland ice sheet temperatures interpreted with 18O isotope from 6 ice cores (Vinther, B., et al., 2009)
During the Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch, a series of severe volcanic eruptions occurred, including Mount Vesuvius (Avellino eruption , about 1660 BC),[ 3] Mount Aniakchak (about 1645 BC),[ 4] and Thera (Minoan eruption , about 1620 BC).[ 5]
References
^ Siklosy, Z.; et al. (2007). "Middle bronze age climate change recorded in a Hungarian stalagmite: triggering by volcanic activity?" (PDF) . Geophysical Research Abstracts . 11 (777).
^ VINTHER, B., et al., 2009, “Holocene thinning of the Greenland ice sheet”, Nature, volume 461, (p 385-388). See: https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-what-greenland-ice-cores-say-about-past-and-present-climate-change
^ Vogel, J. S.; et al. (1990). "Vesuvius/Avellino, one possible source of seventeenth century BC climatic disturbances". Nature . 344 (6266): 534– 537. Bibcode :1990Natur.344..534V . doi :10.1038/344534a0 . S2CID 4368499 .
^ Pearce, N. J. G., J. A. Westgate, S. J. Preece, W. J. Eastwood, and W. T. Perkins (2004). "Identification of Aniakchak (Alaska) tephra in Greenland ice core challenges the 1645 BC date for Minoan eruption of Santorini" . Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst . 5 (3): Q03005. Bibcode :2004GGG.....5.3005P . doi :10.1029/2003GC000672 . {{cite journal }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
^ Friedrich, Walter L.; et al. (2006). "Santorini Eruption Radiocarbon Dated to 1627-1600 B.C.". Science . 312 (5773): 548. doi :10.1126/science.1125087 . PMID 16645088 . S2CID 35908442 .
Preceded by
Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch 1800 BC– 1500 BC
Succeeded by