An inconstant planet, seen and unseen, under foot and overhead

A rare medieval account of seismic activity, combined with chronicled extreme weather events, provides valuable palaeoscientific evidence for climate variability and natural disasters during the Middle Ages. The study highlights Walahfrid Strabo's precise observation of an earthquake in 849 AD, centered in the Swabian Alps, alongside corroborating records of severe winter conditions in northern Italy (1215–16), where the Po River froze solid, causing widespread food shortages and economic disruption. While some accounts may serve dramatic purposes, palaeoscientific analysis offers a means to verify seasonal weather patterns and longer-term climate trends, contributing to our understanding of historical environmental extremes.

(Ed.). (2014). An inconstant planet, seen and unseen, under foot and overhead. An Environmental History of Medieval Europe, 304–341. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139050937.012