The Maunder Minimum: The Little Ice Age

The sun in inextricably linked to all life on Earth – its energy, released via massive amounts of light and warmth, are what make the world as we know it possible. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that any activity happening on the sun would directly affect conditions on the surface of our planet, and therefore connect astronomical phenomena to sociological and historical events. Solar maximums and minimums, which occur every eleven years, are observed by scientists with interest; however, one solar minimum, known as the Maunder Minimum, is especially of note due to the ways it may have impacted early settlements North America.

In order to gain a nuanced understanding of what the Maunder Minimum was and how it affected early settlements

One of the major events that affected the Earth’s climate simultaneously with the Maunder Minimum was the Little Ice Age, an interval of time between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries wherein mean annual temperatures in the northern hemisphere declined about 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit (Rafferty 1). The effects of the Maunder Minimum, wherein decreased sunspot activity indicated lower solar output, resulting in less solar energy warming the earth, have been argued to be the cause of the Little Ice Age, or were at the very least related to it. The effects of the Little Ice Age were felt across Europe and North America, impacting early settlements; wet springs led to flooding, hot summers were marked by devastating and extended droughts, and settlers suffered through intensely cold winters. As a result, and due to the fact that the European settlers were unfamiliar with North America’s growing season and environment, starvation and rampant disease was common among early settlements such as Jamestown and Roanoke (Wolfe 1). Tree-ring studies show that settlers at Jamestown, for instance, arrived at the beginning of a 7-year drought that was the area’s driest period in 770 years (Wolfe 2). Thus, at least some of the settlers’ great difficulties upon arriving in North America can be attributed to the Little Ice Age’s extreme weather and, by extension, the Maunder

One intriguing idea to consider is the potential effects of a solar minimum in modern times. One factor that was not present at the time of the Little Ice Age is climate change, an increase in global temperatures caused primarily by the buildup of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere due to human activity. As climate change worsens, the cooling effects of a solar minimum may not be felt as strongly; however, it is interesting to note that the extreme weather described as occurring during the Little Ice Age bears a resemblance to increasing extreme weather in recent years. Unusual flooding and droughts in different parts of the world are becoming more common and a growing concern for many. Thus, solar activity such as a solar minimum might also possibly exacerbate the effects of climate