The Little Ice Age and Medieval Warming

The Little Ace Age and The Medieval Warm are perfect examples of why the Earth is not just going though a natural cycle of warming. It has been found that during the medieval warming period that the Earth had an increase in solar activity and a decrease in volcanic activity, both of which stimulate warming. Radiative forcing is what is said to cause warming. This would not be consider a cycle that the Earth goes through. Similarly to the warming, the Little Ice Age is seen to have similar causes. Although the Earth does go through glacial and interglacial periods, the current warming that we are seeing is not a direct effect of an interglacial period, but more of a warming due to the forcing effects that humans have on the Earth.

 Source:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/2000_Year_Temperature_Comparison.png/275px-2000_Year_Temperature_Comparison.png

The Medieval Warming

The Little Ice Age