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Climate Variability in the Southern Balkans
Reference
Xoplaki, E., Maheras, P. and Luterbacher, J.  2001.  Variability of climate in meridional Balkans during the periods 1675-1715 and 1780-1830 and its impact on human life.  Climatic Change 48: 581-615.

What was done
Over 1100 proxy climate data records were obtained from various places across the southern Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean area over the periods 1675-1715 and 1780-1830, after which they were analyzed and compared with observational records for the 1961-1990 time period.

What was learned
According to the authors, the occurrence of extreme temperature and precipitation events in the two early time periods were much more apparent than they were during the more recent time period.

What it means
Once again, real world data indicate that extreme temperature and precipitation events are much more likely to occur during colder, as opposed to warmer, climatic periods. Furthermore, these observational results contradict climate model predictions that suggest earth's climate is becoming more variable as the air's CO2 concentration continues to rise.