Editing Climate variability and change (section)

=== Direct measurements ===
Climate changes that occurred after the widespread deployment of measuring devices can be observed directly. Reasonably complete global records of surface temperature are available beginning from the mid-late 19th century. Further observations are derived indirectly from historical documents. Satellite cloud and precipitation data has been available since the 1970s.<ref name="New-2001">{{cite journal|last1=New |first1=M. |last2=Todd |first2=M. |last3=Hulme |first3=M |last4=Jones |first4=P. |s2cid=56212756|date=December 2001|title=Review: Precipitation measurements and trends in the twentieth century|journal=International Journal of Climatology|volume=21|issue=15|pages=1889–922|bibcode=2001IJCli..21.1889N|doi=10.1002/joc.680}}</ref>

[[Historical climatology]] is the study of historical changes in climate and their effect on human history and development. The primary sources include written records such as [[sagas]], [[chronicle]]s, [[map]]s and [[local history]] literature as well as pictorial representations such as [[painting]]s, [[drawing]]s and even [[rock art]]. Climate variability in the recent past may be derived from changes in settlement and agricultural patterns.<ref name="Demenocal-2001">{{Cite journal|last1=Demenocal|first1=P.B.|year=2001|title=Cultural Responses to Climate Change During the Late Holocene|url=http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~peter/Resources/Publications/deMenocal.2001.pdf|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|volume=292|issue=5517|pages=667–73|bibcode=2001Sci...292..667D|doi=10.1126/science.1059827|pmid=11303088|s2cid=18642937 |access-date=28 August 2015|archive-date=17 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217162859/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~peter/Resources/Publications/deMenocal.2001.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Archaeological]] evidence, [[oral tradition|oral history]] and [[historical documents]] can offer insights into past changes in the climate. Changes in climate have been linked to the rise<ref name="Sindbaek-2007">{{Cite journal|last1=Sindbaek|first1=S.M.|year=2007|title=Networks and nodal points: the emergence of towns in early Viking Age Scandinavia|journal=[[Antiquity (journal)|Antiquity]]|volume=81|issue=311|pages=119–32|doi=10.1017/s0003598x00094886|doi-access=free}}</ref> and the collapse of various civilizations.<ref name="Demenocal-2001" />