Little Ice Age for Nairn?
If you didn’t see it recently, the BBC reported that our Sun is now undergoing a period of extremely low activity – and that the last time this happened, big changes happened in Scotland, and Nairn was buried in a sandstorm.
‘Quiet Sun’ baffling astronomers
According to Prof Louise Hara of University College London, it is unclear why this is happening or when the Sun is likely to become more active again.
“There’s no sign of us coming out of it yet,” she told BBC News.
“At the moment, there are scientific papers coming out suggesting that we’ll be going into a normal period of activity soon.
“Others are suggesting we’ll be going into another minimum period – this is a big scientific debate at the moment.”
In the mid-17th Century, a quiet spell – known as the Maunder Minimum – lasted 70 years, and led to a “mini ice age”.
This has resulted in some people suggesting that a similar cooling might offset the impact of climate change.
The Maunder Minimum and its impact on Scotland is picked up by a news item today:
The Little Ice Age and Scotland
With weather patterns disrupted, fierce were winds battered the land.
In 1694, a sandstorm raged at Culbin on the Moray Firth near Nairn, burying homes and ruining an estate.
Marram grass that had kept the long and wide stretch of sands from shifting had previously been ripped up for thatching roofs and as fuel for heating.
Prof Lamb wrote of the local laird becoming a pauper in a matter of hours and appealing to the Scottish Parliament for tax relief.
John Martin, of Elgin, wrote of the storm at the time: “The wind comes rushing down through the openings between the hills, carrying with it immense torrents of sand, with a force and violence almost overpowering.
“Clouds of dust are raised from the tops of the mounds and are whirled about in the wildest confusion and fall with the force of hail.
“Nothing can be seen but sand above, sand below and sand everywhere. You dare not open your eyes but must grope your way about as if blindfolded.”
It also mentions about the Cairngorms remaining snow-capped through the year during this time.
Does this mean that we’re likely to see more tumultuous events?
Perhaps not – but it does serve as a good reminder of how we remain at the mercy of the environment, and we disregard it at our cost.
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