Little Ice Age

Abstract

The term Little Ice Age was originally coined by F Matthesin 1939 to describe the most recent 4000 year climaticinterval (the Late Holocene) associated with a particularlydramatic series of mountain glacier advances and retreats,analogous to, though considerably more moderate than, thePleistocene glacial fluctuations. This relatively prolongedperiod has now become known as the Neoglacial period.The term Little Ice Age is, instead, reserved for the mostextensive recent period of mountain glacier expansion and isconventionally defined as the 16th–mid 19th century periodduring which European climate was most strongly impacted.This period begins with a trend towards enhanced glacialconditions in Europe following the warmer conditions ofthe so-called medieval warm period or medieval climaticoptimum of Europe (