Late Maunder Minimum

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The Late Maunder Minimum refers to a period of significantly reduced solar activity that occurred from approximately 1675 to 1715, characterized by a notable decrease in sunspots. This phenomenon is associated with the Little Ice Age, during which Europe experienced cooler temperatures and altered climatic conditions.

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Evidence for the climate during the Late Maunder Minimum from proxy data and model simulations available within KIHZ

by Hans von Storch and

2004, H. Fischer, T. Kumke, G. Lohmann, G. Flöser, H. Miller, H von Storch und J. F. W. Negendank (Eds.): The Climate in Historical Times. Towards a synthesis of Holocene proxy data and climate models, Springer Verlag, Berlin - Heidelberg - New York, 487 pp., ISBN 3-540-20601-9, 397-4144

The knowledge constructed within the project „Klima in Historischen Zeiten“ (KIHZ) about the Late Maunder Minimum (LMM), based upon corals, lake and marine sediment records, ice cores and speleothems, is reviewed. The data are compared to... more

Figure 2 - Global map of the main regions with annually resolving proxy data for pre-1750 temperatures. From J ones et al., 2001. 3 Evidence from archives about the climate during the Late Maunder Minimum (LMM) Various proxies reflect past variations of mainly air and sea surface temperature, precipitation and wind directions. Figure 2 sketches broadly the main areas, and types of proxies, from which annually resolving reconstructions of temperatures seem to be possible. The project KIHZ is engaged in many of these areas, working in corals, marine and lake sediments and ice cores. In the following a summary of t he available data, and their informational content for the Late Maunder Minimum (LMM, 1675 -1710) is given. We nrecent not only that material which nrovidec relatively well defined

SSTs in DJFM during the LMM were on average 0.6K cooler than during the preceding interval from 1658 -1669 and warmer by about 0.5K than the following period (1711-1730). The average SST’s between 1730 -1800 were 0.3 K cooler than during the period between 1658 -1669. SSTs in JJAS during the LMM were on average 0.2K cooler than between 1658-1669 and warmer by about 0.05K than between 1710 -1730. The average SST’s between 1730-1800 were 0.6 K warmer than during the LMM. variability is strongly enhanced during the LMM in comparison with the recent time interval. This also holds for the preceding and following reference periods as well as all cool episodes (1820-1850, 1890-1930).

deMenocal et al. (2000) found evidence for a strong cooling ( -1 to —2 K relative to 1550-1800) for the West African coast in a core drilled at about 20 °N, 18°W, concurrent with a SST anomaly of —0.5 to —1 K derived from material at Bermuda Rise. Figure 5 Marine bioproductivity (chlorines) and continental moisture (lithoclastics) recorded in laminated sediments from the El Nino region off the coast of Peru.

Figure 8 - Evidence from speleothems.: NW Scotland: Normalized annual bandwidth. Error < 20 years. From Proctor et al. (2000). Stalagmites from caves in New Mexico (USA) have been examined (Polyak and Amserom, 2001). In this semi -arid region with seasonal precipitation, stalagmite growth is moisture limited. The stalagmite BC2 provides a continuous sequence of 292 bands and two U-series dates (1518 + 13 and 1714 + 50 years B.P.). After thicknesses of about 0.1 mm were found for the time until about 1650, an abrupt lowering at about 1650 indicates the beginning of dry conditions during the LMM until about 1720 (Figure 9). If this is a inhomogeneity in the d ata or a real signal remains to be seen.

Figure 9 - Evidence from speleothems: Speleothem BC2 from New Mexico. Low values indicate dryness. From Polyak and Asmerom (2001) 4 Numerical model simulation of the LMM

The DJF precipitation difference map is shown in Figure 11. Various patterns of increased and reduced precipitation are found, mainly in the tropics. However, most of these features can not be distinguished from the effect of ra ndom variations. Only the strong reduction of precipitation over the Labrador Sea and the Hudson Bay is strongly significant. A similar feature emerges in the other seasons. Also the DJF -intensification of the ITCZ north of the East Pacific equator is sign ificant, albeit marginally (10%). In JJA and SON, the slight reduction of precipitation over the Artic is significant as well. Everything else can be explained with reasonable likelihood as result of averaging random variations. In particular, in Europe, w here historical evidence is rich, no clear signal emerges. Also the Indian monsoon is not markedly affected in the model. The model is not capable of reproducing regional -scale (< 10’km?) patterns in a Figure 10 - Simulated air temperature differences 1675 -1710 minus 1550. 1800 in DJF. Degree K. these features can not be distinguished from the effect of random variations. Only the

The zonal wind exhibited stable features only in the a reas south of Greenland, where the climatological easterly winds are weakened, which may be associated with less cyclogenesis, and a band of westerly anomalies over the Southern ocean, i.e. a weakening of the “roaring forties”. Generally, the differences in the zonal wind are weak. Over Europe no stable pattern emerges; anomalous easterlies have been simulated only for summer (JJA), but are not statistically significant.

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Climate model simulates global cold climate and largescale North Atlantic sea-ice anomalies during Late Maunder Minimum (1675-1710)

by Hans von Storch and

2002, Rejected by nature; DOI 10.13140/2.1.3761.7445

With a state-of-the-art climate model, the effect of time varying solar and volcanic aerosol forcing has been simulated. During the winters 1675-1710, a marked global cooling was simulated. This event mimics, in terms of broad patterns... more

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Late Maunder Minimum

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