The Little Ice Age was a period of unusually cold temperature in many parts of the world that lasted from about the year 1350 until 1900C.E. There were unusually harsh winters, and glaciers grew larger in many areas. Scientists have long wondered what caused the Little Ice Age. Several possible causes have been proposed.
First, the cooling may have been caused by disrupting of ocean currents. Before the Little Ice Age, there was a period of unusually warm weather during which glaciers melted. These melted glaciers sent a large amount of cold freshwater into the Gulf Stream, a large ocean current that strongly affects Earth’s climate. Some scientists believe that this freshwater was enough to temporarily disrupt the Gulf Stream. Such a disruption could have caused the Little Ice Age.
Second, volcanic eruption could have caused the Little Ice Age. When volcanoes erupt, they send dark clouds of dust and sulfur gas into the atmosphere. These clouds, which can spread over great areas, block some sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface. This can decrease the global temperatures. Scientists know of several volcanic eruptions that took place during the Little Ice Age.
Third, substantial decreases in human populations may have contributed indirectly to the cooling of the climate. For a variety of reasons (disease, warfare, social disruption), the human population just before the Little Ice Age and during the early part of it was lower than it had been in a long time. Forest trees started growing on fields that were no longer used for agriculture. Since trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, they decrease the greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm. With more forest trees absorbing carbon dioxide, Earth became cooler.
The article discusses the causes of Little Ice Age, a historical period of cold temperature in many parts of the world. The author provides three possible reason for the cause. However, the professor in the lecture does not believe in these reasons to be sufficient and refutes each of the causes explained by the author.
First, the passage states that disruption of ocean streams caused by the prior warmer temperature may contribute to this phenomena. However, the professor explains that the disruption of gulf streams could affect just the Europe and North America but the ice age was all over the world and southern hemisphere so this reason cannot explain the cause.
Second, the article claims that the volcanic eruption in those time can be another possible explanation. Although the professor agrees that the volcanic activity can block the amount of solar energy reaching the earth but he refutes this point too. He states that the amount of dust in the weather would have affected other natural things as well. The greyish snow and brighter sunsets would be one of its effects according to the professor, however, these kinds of changes are not reported for that age. So, he says that the volcanic activities cannot be the main reason.
Third, the reading avers that the little ice age might have happened because of decrease in human population which caused the plants and forests to grow and absorb more carbon dioxide. The lecture apposes this point by saying that there was not enough time in that period for forests to grow and contribute to the cold temperature. The lecturer claims that the human population have increased fast to the previous levels and the forests did not have the opportunity to grow and absorb more greenhouse gases.
| Post date | Users | Rates | Link to Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-26 | mahan vahab kashi | 3 | view |
| 2019-09-25 | p0uya | 83 | view |
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Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 117, Rule ID: THIS_NNS[1]
Message: Did you mean 'these'?
Suggestion: these
...or warmer temperature may contribute to this phenomena. However, the professor expla...
^^^^
Line 3, column 207, Rule ID: AFFECT_EFFECT[1]
Message: Did you mean 'effect'?
Suggestion: effect
...at the disruption of gulf streams could affect just the Europe and North America but the ic...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, first, however, may, second, so, third, well
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 7.0 10.4613686534 67% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 9.0 5.04856512141 178% => OK
Conjunction : 11.0 7.30242825607 151% => OK
Relative clauses : 12.0 12.0772626932 99% => OK
Pronoun: 22.0 22.412803532 98% => OK
Preposition: 30.0 30.3222958057 99% => OK
Nominalization: 6.0 5.01324503311 120% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1471.0 1373.03311258 107% => OK
No of words: 295.0 270.72406181 109% => OK
Chars per words: 4.98644067797 5.08290768461 98% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.14434120667 4.04702891845 102% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.39712554092 2.5805825403 93% => OK
Unique words: 155.0 145.348785872 107% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.525423728814 0.540411800872 97% => OK
syllable_count: 453.6 419.366225166 108% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 3.25607064018 92% => OK
Article: 11.0 8.23620309051 134% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.51434878587 0% => OK
Preposition: 0.0 2.5761589404 0% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 13.0 13.0662251656 99% => OK
Sentence length: 22.0 21.2450331126 104% => OK
Sentence length SD: 43.8957883707 49.2860985944 89% => OK
Chars per sentence: 113.153846154 110.228320801 103% => OK
Words per sentence: 22.6923076923 21.698381199 105% => OK
Discourse Markers: 3.76923076923 7.06452816374 53% => More transition words/phrases wanted.
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 2.0 4.19205298013 48% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 3.0 4.33554083885 69% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 3.0 4.45695364238 67% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 7.0 4.27373068433 164% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.125787878915 0.272083759551 46% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0484847948342 0.0996497079465 49% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0804155675284 0.0662205650399 121% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0809812324656 0.162205337803 50% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.04879690325 0.0443174109184 110% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 13.4 13.3589403974 100% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 57.61 53.8541721854 107% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.7 11.0289183223 97% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.96 12.2367328918 98% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.31 8.42419426049 99% => OK
difficult_words: 67.0 63.6247240618 105% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.0 10.7273730684 103% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.8 10.498013245 103% => OK
text_standard: 11.0 11.2008830022 98% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 83 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 25 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.