From around 1500 to 1850, Earth’s weather cooled down a lot. It was so cold, this period is known as the Little Ice Age. Glaciers were more widespread than at any time in the previous 10,000 years. The century from 1600 to 1700 was one of the coldest on record.
Is Earth due for another very big chill? Most likely, but we can’t say just when. A few hundred or maybe a few thousand years from now, ice sheets will begin to advance again. Certain plants and animals will die out, and we will have to find new ways to grow crops and stay warm.
If the next ice age comes in 2203 or even 3303, will people be prepared? No one knows what life will be like in the next glacial period. But we do know how a cold spell affected humans 500 years ago.
