Climate, Environment, and Society in the Pacific during the Last Millennium

The nature of global change in the Pacific Basin is poorly known compared to other parts of the world. Climate, Environment, and Society in the Pacific during the Last Millennium describes the climate changes that occurred in the Pacific during the last millennium and discusses how these changes controlled the broad evolution of human societies, typically filtered by the effects of changing sea level and storminess on food availability and interaction. Covering the entire period since AD 750 in the Pacific, this book describes the influences of climate change on environments and societies during the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age, focusing on the 100-year transition between these – a period of rapid change known as the AD 1300 Event.

* Discusses the societal effects of climate and sea-level change, as well as the evidence for externally-driven societal change
* Synthsizes how climate change has driven environmental change and societal change in the Pacific Basin
* Contains a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the evidence for climate, environmental, and societal change, supported by a full list of references

Chapter 1.Climate, environment and society: global and regional perspectives
Chapter 2.Arrival and spread of humans in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 3.Influences of climate and sea-level changes on humans
Chapter 4.The Medieval Warm Period (AD 750-1250) in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 5.The AD 1300 Event (AD 1250-1350) in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 6.The Little Ice Age (AD 1350-1800) in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 7.The AD 1300 Event: an explanatory model for societal response to climate change during the last millennium in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 8.Recent warming and sea-level rise (since AD 1800) in the Pacific Basin
Chapter 9.Teleconnections and global climate trends
Chapter 10.Causes of last-millennium climate change
References