Previous Year Question
Which of the following periods has generally been considered to be the ‘Little Ice Age’?
730 A.D. – 850 A.D.
950 A.D. – 1250 A.D.
1650 A.D. – 1870 A.D.
8000 to 10,000 years B.P. (Before Present)
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Among the given options, the correct answer is (c) 1650 A.D. – 1870 A.D.
The Little Ice Age refers to a prolonged interval when average temperatures were relatively lower in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere and expansion of glaciers was also observed. Its effects are visible in climatic records from Europe, North America and other regions.
There is no single universally fixed boundary for this period. Different paleoclimate studies place it approximately between 1300/1450 A.D. and 1850 A.D., with the 17th century representing an especially important part of its colder phases.
Therefore, modern scientific literature gives somewhat broader dates, but among the options provided in the question, 1650 A.D. – 1870 A.D.