The Little Ice Age in the Tatra Mountains

The Little Ice Age (LIA) in the Tatras was characterized by both long and short rainy periods (mostly long cold rainy summers) alternated with warm periods that sometimes were very dry. Definite, precise identification of the onset and ending of the LIA in the Tatras is not possible. Depending on the criteria adopted, the limits of the actual onset and ending vary slightly. During the LIA in the Tatras, there were no fully developed glaciers, and only glacierettes were present. New rock glaciers had not formed while the existing ones did not show any activity. The LIA, in addition to the increased intensity of morphogenic processes, was also reflected in the lives of inhabitants of this part of the Carpathians. For humans the changes were very unfavourable because they were accompanied by a shortened vegetation period and crop yield deficiency that fostered the spread famine and various epidemics.