A sharp drop in temperatures could have played a leading role in the outcome of the Roman Empire. This was collected by a study carried out by scientists from the "Past Global Changes" project. His research was collected and published in the magazine Nature GeoscienceAnd not only in the ancient Roman civilization, but in many other civilizations throughout history.
It's curious, then, that movies and a natural lack of knowledge due to not having lived through ancient times often lead us to think that the reorganizations of ancient civilizations were due to many other factors. It's not often realized that, the climate has a very direct influence on all living beings. In our case, we have not been an exception. Although there is often a tendency to forget the determining role that prevailing weather plays at each moment.
The causes and consequences of cooling
The period from which it is dated includes between 536 AD and 660The effects of this cooling could be felt across vast areas, causing political upheaval, social transformations, and even the fall of empires from Europe to Asia, and even parts of Arabia. This long-lasting ice age was caused by the large eruption of various volcanoes. The first of them in 536, the second in 540 and finally in 547. To better understand how climate can alter history, it is interesting to review the major climatic changes in Earth's history.
Climate cooling produced by the volcanoes it is due to large ejections of small particles, sulfate aerosols. These enter the atmosphere blocking sunlightThe blocking process that prevents sunlight from entering through refraction has been studied as a solution to global warming. Harvard University is also involved in a geoengineering project called Scopex targeting intentional cooldown using this technique.
Another effect was the Justanian pandemic, which spread across the Mediterranean between 541 and 543. It reached Constantinople and was responsible for claiming the lives of millions of people even centuries later. This teaches us that the role of climate has been decisive in the evolution of our civilization, even in relatively recent times. Furthermore, the impact of climate change on biodiversity is an issue we should not underestimate, as mentioned in the article on how the reduction of migratory birds in Spain is related to these changes.
