Descriptive documentary evidence is an important source of detailed information on past climates, particularly for the period between the eleventh century and the beginning of the era of instrumental meteorology. Historical climatology is concerned with the study and climatic interpretation of this evidence. However, there are many pitfalls in using historical records, associated with the fact that such records were rarely written primarily as descriptions of climate and with the fact that many readily accessible records are of doubtful reliability. Here we take a critical look at existing work in the field, with the aim of isolating many problems which need to be recognised and overcome before historical climatology can be considered to rest on a secure methodological and factual footing.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Brooks, C. E. P. Climate Through the Ages (Benn, London, 1926).
Le Roy Ladurie, E. Times of Feast, Times of Famine: A History of Climate since the Year 1000 (Allen and Unwin, London, 1972); originally published as Histoire du climat depuis l'an mil (Flammarion, Paris, 1967).
Craddock, J. Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 102, 823 (1976).
Lamb, H. H. & Johnson, A. I. Geophys. Mem. 110 (HMSO, London, 1966).
Manley, G. Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 79, 242 (1953).
Gottschalk, M. K. E. in Stormvloeden en rivieroverstromingen in Nederland. Deel I: De periode voor 1400 (Van Gorcum, Assen, 1971).
Gottschalk, M. K. E. Stromvloeden en rivieroverstormingen in Nederland. Deel II: De periode 1400–1600 (Van Gorcum, Assen, 1975).
Gottschalk, M. K. E. Stormvloeden en rivieroverstromingen in Nederland. Deel III: De periode 1600–1700 (Van Gorcum, Assen, 1977).
Alexandre, P. Le Moyen Âge 80, 101 (1974).
Bell, W. T. & Ogilvie, A. E. Climatic Change 3 (in the press).
Alexandre, P. Centre Belge d'Histoire Rurale, Publ. no. 50, (1976).
Alexandre, P. Annales: Économies, Sociétés, Civilizations 32, 183 (1977).
Hennig, R. Abh. Preuss. Inst. Band II, No. 4 (1904).
Weikinn, C. Quellentexte zur Witterungsgeschichte Europas von der Zeitwende bis zum Jahre 1850: Hydrographie, Teil 1 (Berlin Institut für Physikalische Hydrographie, Berlin, 1958.)
Bryson, R. A. Science 184, 753 (1974).
Karlén, W. & Denton, G. H. Boreas 5, 25 (1976).
Bergthórsson, P. Jökull 19, 94 (1969).
Lamb, H. H. Climate: Present, Past and Future 2 (Methuen, London, 1977).
Lamb, H. H. & Johnson, A. I. Geogr. Annaler 43, 363 (1961).
Thoroddsen, Th. Climate of Iceland in 1000 Years (Hinu Íslenska Fraeðafjelagi, Copenhagen, 1916/17).
Titow, J. Z. Annales: Economies, Sociétés, Civilizations 25, 311 (1970).
Vanderlinden, E. Mém. Acad. r. Belg. Cl Sci. Ser. 2, 5 (1924).
Moodie, D. W. & Catchpole, A. J. W. Manitoba geogr. Stud. 5 (1975).
Moodie, D. W. & Catchpole, A. J. W. Science 193, 51 (1976).
Symons, G. J. Considerationes Temperici pro 7 Annis: The Earliest Known Journal of the Weather, kept by the Rev. W. Merle, Rector of Driby, Lincolnshire,1337–44 (reproduced and translated, 1891).
Flohn, H. Vjschr. naturf. Ges., Zürich 94, 28 (1949).
LaCour, P. Tyge Brahes Meteorologiske Dagbog, holdt paa Uranienborg for Aarene 1582–1597 (Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab: Collectanea Danica, Copenhagen, 1876).
Wolf, R. Met. Beob. dt. Feuerschiffen N.-u. Ostsee Suppl. 180, (1885).
De Vries, J. Annales: Economies, Sociétés, Civilizations 32, 198 (1977).
Pfister, C. Vjschr. naturf. Ges. Zürich 122, 447 (1977).
Manley, G. Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 100, 389 (1974).
Lamb, H. H. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1, 13 (1965).
Lenke, W. Ber. dt. Wetterd. Bad Kissingen No. 92 (1964).
Manley, G. Weather 30, 381 (1975).
Wigley, T. M. L., Underhill, D. J., Williams, L. D., Briffa, K. R. & Harris, P. W. V. Quatern. Res. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ingram, M., Underhill, D. & Wigley, T. Historical climatology. Nature 276, 329–334 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/276329a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/276329a0
This article is cited by
-
Chronicling a medieval eruption
Nature Geoscience (2017)
-
Indigenous Australians’ knowledge of weather and climate
Climatic Change (2010)
-
Millennium-long recession of limestone facades in London
Environmental Geology (2008)
-
The ‘Little Ice Age’ glacial expansion in western Scandinavia: summer temperature or winter precipitation?
Climate Dynamics (2008)
-
Historical Climatology In Europe – The State Of The Art
Climatic Change (2005)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
