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Younger Dryas

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Before Present ( BP ) or " years before present ( YBP )" is a time scale used mainly in archaeology , geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred relative to the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use 1 January 1950 as the commencement date (epoch) of the age scale, with 1950 being labelled as the "standard year". The abbreviation "BP" has been interpreted retrospectively as "Before Physics", which refers to the time before nuclear weapons testing artificially altered the proportion of the carbon isotopes in the atmosphere, which scientists must account for.

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134-734: The Younger Dryas (YD, Greenland Stadial GS-1) was a period in Earth's geologic history that occurred circa 12,900 to 11,700 years Before Present (BP). It is primarily known for the sudden or "abrupt" cooling in the Northern Hemisphere, when the North Atlantic Ocean cooled and annual air temperatures decreased by ~3 °C (5.4 °F) over North America , 2–6 °C (3.6–10.8 °F) in Europe and up to 10 °C (18 °F) in Greenland , in

268-605: A Ministry of Environment and was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law in 1973. To mitigate environmental degradation and global warming the Danish Government has signed the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol . However, the national ecological footprint is 8.26 global hectares per person, which is very high compared to a world average of 1.7 in 2010. Contributing factors to this value are an exceptional high value for cropland but also

402-524: A series of wars in the 17th century that resulted in further territorial cessions . A surge of nationalist movements in the 19th century were defeated in the First Schleswig War of 1848. The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended the absolute monarchy and introduced the current parliamentary system. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of

536-614: A temperate climate, characterised by cool to cold winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and mild summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Denmark, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Denmark has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving

670-542: A two-chamber parliament . Denmark faced war against both Prussia and the Austrian Empire in what became known as the Second Schleswig War , lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia . This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued

804-523: A few decades. Cooling in Greenland was particularly rapid, taking place over just 3 years or less. At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere experienced warming. This period ended as rapidly as it began, with dramatic warming over ~50 years, which transitioned the Earth from the glacial Pleistocene epoch into the current Holocene . The Younger Dryas onset was not fully synchronized; in the tropics,

938-668: A few key trading posts in Africa and India . While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade , through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu , Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately

1072-471: A framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark . First written in 1849, it establishes a sovereign state in the form of a constitutional monarchy , with a representative unicameral parliamentary system . The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State ( privy council ). In practice, the duties of the monarch are strictly representative and ceremonial , such as

1206-519: A further Danevirke . In the early 11th century, Canute the Great won and united Denmark, England, and Norway for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army. Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages , Denmark also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland , and Blekinge in present-day south Sweden) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia , as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein . Most of

1340-512: A high latitude volcanic eruption could have accelerated North Atlantic sea ice growth, finally tipping the AMOC sufficiently to cause the Younger Dryas. Cave deposits and glacial ice cores both contain evidence of at least one major volcanic eruption taking place in the northern hemisphere at a time close to Younger Dryas onset, perhaps even completely matching the stalagmite-derived date for the onset of

1474-727: A lack of resources led to its stagnation. In the Thirty Years' War , Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter . The result was that the Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein was able to invade, occupy, and pillage Jutland, forcing Denmark to withdraw from the war . Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus ' intervention in Germany

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1608-456: A lag in timing of the Younger Dryas, indicating a greater influence of warmer Pacific conditions on that range. Effects in the Rocky Mountain region were varied. Several sites show little to no changes in vegetation. In the northern Rockies, a significant increase in pines and firs suggests warmer conditions than before and a shift to subalpine parkland in places. That is hypothesized to be

1742-498: A pathway along the Mackenzie River in present-day Canada, and sediment cores show that the strongest outburst had occurred right before the onset of Younger Dryas. Other factors are also likely to have played a major role in the Younger Dryas climate. For instance, some research suggests climate in Greenland was primarily affected by the melting of then-present Fennoscandian ice sheet , which could explain why Greenland experienced

1876-463: A plant which only thrives in glacial conditions, began to dominate where forests were able to grow during the preceding B-A Interstadial. This makes the Younger Dryas a key example of how biota responded to abrupt climate change . For instance, in what is now New England , cool summers, combined with cold winters and low precipitation, resulted in a treeless tundra up to the onset of the Holocene, when

2010-415: A policy of neutrality in Europe. Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railways were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to

2144-475: A relatively high value for grazing land, which may be explained by the substantially high meat production in Denmark (115.8 kilograms (255 lb) meat annually per capita) and the large economic role of the meat and dairy industries. In December 2014, the Climate Change Performance Index for 2015 placed Denmark at the top of the table, explaining that although emissions are still quite high,

2278-590: A short border . As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark , including the Faroe Islands and Greenland , had a total of 1,419 islands greater than 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft) in area; 443 have been named and 78 are inhabited. Spanning a total area of 42,943 km (16,580 sq mi), metropolitan Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Zealand

2412-656: A single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state that comprises, in addition to metropolitan Denmark, two autonomous territories in

2546-420: A total area of 42,943.9 square kilometres (16,581 sq mi). The area of inland water is 43 km (17 sq mi). The size of the land area cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). Post-glacial rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm (0.4 in) per year in

2680-522: A total of 765 millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that the weather is often unstable. Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight: short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm (standard time), as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm ( daylight saving time ). Denmark belongs to

2814-457: A union with Norway. After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–1613 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing it to return to the union. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as

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2948-522: Is Denmark's most populated island, followed by Funen , then the North Jutlandic Island and Amager . Copenhagen, Denmark's capital and most populous city, is located on Zealand and Amager. Denmark has flat, arable land , sandy coasts, low elevations, and a temperate climate . Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm , devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule

3082-457: Is a representative democracy with universal suffrage . Membership of the Folketing is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 2% electoral threshold. Denmark elects 175 members to the Folketing, with Greenland and the Faroe Islands electing an additional two members each—179 members in total. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within

3216-734: Is a founding member of NATO , the Nordic Council , the OECD , the OSCE and the United Nations , and is part of the Schengen Area . Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours. The Danish political system is used in political science as a reference point for near-perfect governance and the term "getting to Denmark" is used to describe how other countries can improve their governments. The etymology of

3350-497: Is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron . The tribal Danes came from the east Danish islands ( Zealand ) and Scania and spoke an early form of North Germanic . Historians believe that before their arrival, most of Jutland and the nearest islands were settled by tribal Jutes . Many Jutes migrated to Great Britain , according to legend some as mercenaries of Brythonic King Vortigern , and formed

3484-452: Is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches ), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig . The first recorded use of the word Danmark within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones , which are runestones believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old ( c.  955 ) and Harald Bluetooth ( c.  965 ). The larger of the two stones

3618-489: Is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have

3752-478: Is farther from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total 105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles). Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude;

3886-598: Is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj , at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). Although this is by far the lowest high point in the Nordic countries and also less than half of the highest point in Southern Sweden , Denmark's general elevation in its interior is generally at a safe level from rising sea levels . A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst

4020-476: Is popularly cited as the "baptismal certificate" ( dåbsattest ) of Denmark, though both use the word "Denmark", in the accusative ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ tanmaurk ( [danmɒrk] ) on the large stone, and the genitive ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᚱ "tanmarkar" (pronounced [danmarkaɽ] ) on the small stone, while the dative form tąnmarku (pronounced [danmarkʊ] ) is found on the contemporaneous Skivum stone. The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ( [danɪ] ), or "Danes", in

4154-461: Is reconstructed through proxy data such as traces of pollen , ice cores and layers of marine and lake sediments . Collectively, this evidence shows that significant cooling across the Northern Hemisphere began around 12,870 ± 30 years BP. It was particularly severe in Greenland , where temperatures declined by 4–10 °C (7.2–18.0 °F), in an abrupt fashion. Temperatures at the Greenland summit were up to 15 °C (27 °F) colder than at

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4288-478: Is sometimes used for dates established by means other than radiocarbon dating, such as stratigraphy . This usage differs from the recommendation by van der Plicht & Hogg, followed by the Quaternary Science Reviews , both of which requested that publications should use the unit "a" (for "annum", Latin for "year") and reserve the term "BP" for radiocarbon estimations. Some archaeologists use

4422-517: Is the largest lake. The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island , and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing under their own parliaments (the Løgting and Inatsisartut ) and form, together with continental Denmark, part of the Danish Realm , a country. Denmark has

4556-430: Is weak. The scientific consensus is that severe AMOC weakening explains the climatic effects of the Younger Dryas. It also explains why the Holocene warming had proceeded so rapidly once the AMOC change was no longer counteracting the increase in carbon dioxide levels. AMOC weakening causing polar seesaw effects is also consistent with the accepted explanation for Dansgaard–Oeschger events , with YD likely to have been

4690-495: The Älvsborg ransom . King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg ) and Christiania . Inspired by the Dutch East India Company , he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Ceylon as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast . Denmark's large colonial aspirations included

4824-542: The Boreal Kingdom and can be subdivided into two ecoregions : the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests . Almost all of Denmark's primeval temperate forests have been destroyed or fragmented, chiefly for agricultural purposes during the last millennia. The deforestation has created large swaths of heathland and devastating sand drifts . In spite of this, there are several larger second growth woodlands in

4958-616: The Frikorps Danmark . Iceland severed ties with Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944; Germany surrendered in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained home rule . In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of NATO . Denmark was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Seven , as opposed to

5092-706: The Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union ) after a public referendum . The Maastricht Treaty , which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Danes rejected

5226-670: The Jelling stones , the Danes were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth , the son of Gorm and Thyra . It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the Holy Roman Empire . A rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an important trading partner for the Danes. As a deterrent against this threat, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built

5360-457: The Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands . Of these, the largest island is Zealand , on which the capital Copenhagen is situated, followed by the North Jutlandic Island , Funen , and Lolland . The island of Bornholm is located some 150 km east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea . Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; a bridge-tunnel across

5494-645: The Nahanagan Stadial , and in Great Britain it has been called the Loch Lomond Stadial . In the Greenland Summit ice core chronology, the Younger Dryas corresponds to Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1). The preceding Allerød warm period (interstadial) is subdivided into three events: Greenland Interstadial-1c to 1a (GI-1c to GI-1a). As with the other geologic periods, paleoclimate during the Younger Dryas

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5628-636: The North Atlantic Ocean : the Faroe Islands and Greenland . They have been integrated parts of the Danish Realm since the 18th century; however, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of the Realm have extensive political powers and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Home rule was granted to the Faroe Islands in 1948 and to Greenland in 1979, each having previously had

5762-702: The Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, and the first tribal Danes came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age , in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of North-West Europe and

5896-675: The Puerto Princesa cave complex in the Philippines shows that the onset of the Younger Dryas in East Asia was delayed by several hundred years relative to the North Atlantic. Further, the cooling was uniform throughout the year, but had a distinct seasonal pattern. In most places in the Northern Hemisphere, winters became much colder than before, but springs cooled by less, while there was either no temperature change or even slight warming during

6030-458: The Scandinavian ice sheet advanced. Notably, ice sheet advance in this area appears to have begun about 600 years before the global onset of the Younger Dryas. Underwater, the deposits of methane clathrate - methane frozen into ice - remained stable throughout the Younger Dryas, including during the rapid warming as it ended. As the Northern Hemisphere cooled and the Southern Hemisphere warmed,

6164-906: The Swiss Alps and the Dinaric Alps in the Balkans , northern ranges of North America's Rocky Mountains , Two Creeks Buried Forest in Wisconsin and western parts of the New York State , and in the Pacific Northwest, including the Cascade Range . The entire Laurentide ice sheet had advanced between west Lake Superior and southeast Quebec , leaving behind a layer of rock debris ( moraine ) dated to this period. Southeastern Alaska appears to have escaped glaciation; speleothem calcite deposition continued in

6298-762: The United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia , Sweden, and Prussia . British fears that Denmark-Norway would ally with France led to two attacks against Danish targets in Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807 . These attacks resulted in the British capturing most of the Dano-Norwegian navy and led to the outbreak of the Gunboat War . British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to

6432-425: The boreal forests shifted north. Along the southern margins of the Great Lakes, spruce dropped rapidly, while pine increased, and herbaceous prairie vegetation decreased in abundance, but increased west of the region. The central Appalachian Mountains remained forested during the Younger Dryas, but they were covered in spruce and tamarack boreal forests, switching to temperate broadleaf and mixed forests during

6566-498: The thermal equator would have shifted to the south. Because trade winds from either hemisphere cancel each other out above the thermal equator in a calm, heavily clouded area known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a change in its position affects wind patterns elsewhere. For instance, in East Africa , the sediments of Lake Tanganyika were mixed less strongly during this period, indicating weaker wind systems in this area. Shifts in atmospheric patterns are believed to be

6700-400: The Øresund connects Zealand with Sweden; the Great Belt Fixed Link connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The four cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen. The metropolitan part occupies

6834-441: The 19th century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century, forming the basis for the present welfare state model and advanced mixed economy . Denmark remained neutral during World War I ; Danish neutrality was violated in World War II by a rapid German invasion in April 1940. During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark

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6968-605: The 8th to the 10th century the wider Scandinavian region was the source of Vikings . They colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Danish Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern British Isles and Western Europe . They settled in parts of England (known as the Danelaw ) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and in France where Danes and Norwegians were allowed to settle in what would become Normandy in exchange of allegiance to Robert I of France with Rollo as first ruler. Some Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Denmark. Denmark

7102-427: The AMOC on timescales of decades or centuries. The Younger Dryas is the best known and best understood because it is the most recent, but it is fundamentally similar to the previous cold phases over the past 120,000 years. This similarity makes the impact hypothesis very unlikely, and it may also contradict the Lake Agassiz hypothesis. On the other hand, some research links volcanism with D–O events, potentially supporting

7236-414: The AMOC. Once the Younger Dryas began, lowered temperatures would have elevated snowfall across the Northern Hemisphere, increasing the ice-albedo feedback . Further, melting snow would be more likely to flood back into the North Atlantic than rainfall would, as less water would be absorbed into the frozen ground. Other modelling shows that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean could have been tens of meters thick by

7370-419: The Balkans also experienced ice loss and glacial retreat: this was likely caused by the drop in annual precipitation, which would have otherwise frozen and helped to maintain the glaciers. Unlike now, the glaciers were still present in northern Scotland , but they had thinned during the Younger Dryas. The amount of water contained within glaciers directly influences global sea levels - sea level rise occurs if

7504-404: The Danes, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Danes are descended. The Danevirke defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward and the sheer size of the construction efforts in AD 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe , the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about AD 700. From

7638-462: The Danish government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. The Danish resistance performed a rescue operation that managed to evacuate several thousand Jews and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported Nazism by joining the Danish Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of

7772-408: The Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The centre-left Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model . The Liberal Party and the Conservative People's Party have also led centre-right governments. Located in Northern Europe , Denmark consists of the northern part of

7906-437: The Faroe Islands. The Folketing is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets , approving the state's accounts, appointing and exercising control of the Government, and taking part in international co-operation. Bills may be initiated by the Government or by members of parliament . All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law. Denmark

8040-406: The Holocene. Conversely, pollen and macrofossil evidence from near Lake Ontario indicates that cool, boreal forests persisted into the early Holocene. An increase of pine pollen indicates cooler winters within the central Cascades. Speleothems from the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve in southern Oregon 's Klamath Mountains yield evidence of climatic cooling contemporaneous to

8174-438: The Marine Isotope Stage 6, ~130,000 years BP), III (the end of Marine Isotope Stage 8, ~243,000 years BP) and Termination IV (the end of Marine Isotope Stage 10, ~337,000 years BP. When combined with additional evidence from ice cores and paleobotanical data, some have argued that YD-like events inevitably occur during every deglaciation. The 2004 film, The Day After Tomorrow depicts catastrophic climatic effects following

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8308-406: The Nordic colonies, Denmark continued to rule over Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies from 1671 to 1917. A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848 , Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established

8442-410: The Northern Hemisphere, the length of the growing season declined. Land ice cover experienced little net change, but sea ice extent had increased, contributing to ice–albedo feedback . This increase in albedo was the main reason for net global cooling of 0.6 °C (1.1 °F). During the preceding period, the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial , rapid warming in the Northern Hemisphere was offset by

8576-404: The Younger Dryas event. It has been suggested that this eruption would have been stronger than any during the Common Era , some of which have been able to cause several decades of cooling. According to 1990s research, the Laacher See eruption (present-day volcanic lake in Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany ) would have matched the criteria, but radiocarbon dating done in 2021 pushes the date of

8710-427: The Younger Dryas with a significant reduction or shutdown of the thermohaline circulation , which circulates warm tropical waters northward through the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This is consistent with climate model simulations, as well as a range of proxy evidence, such as the decreased ventilation (exposure to oxygen from the surface) of the lowest layers of North Atlantic water. Cores from

8844-432: The Younger Dryas. On the Olympic Peninsula, a mid-elevation site recorded a decrease in fire, but forest persisted and erosion increased during the Younger Dryas, which suggests cool and wet conditions. Speleothem records indicate an increase in precipitation in southern Oregon, the timing of which coincides with increased sizes of pluvial lakes in the northern Great Basin. Pollen record from the Siskiyou Mountains suggests

8978-402: The accusative. The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC . Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds , which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot . During

9112-473: The advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers. Denmark is ranked 10th in Environmental Performance Index for year 2024. This Index combines various indicators around known issues around the world and measures how good they fit in among each countries on a scale. Denmark scores good in parameters like Agriculture, Climate Change Mitigation, Forests' Net Change In Tree Cover etc. Politics in Denmark operate under

9246-460: The amount of dust blown by wind had also increased. Other areas became wetter including northern China (possibly excepting the Shanxi region) The Younger Dryas was initially discovered around the start of the 20th century, through paleobotanical and lithostratigraphic studies of Swedish and Danish bog and lake sites, particularly the Allerød clay pit in Denmark. The analysis of fossilized pollen had consistently shown how Dryas octopetala ,

9380-450: The basis for a large fishing industry . Denmark stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas extraction in December 2020. Land and water pollution are two of Denmark's most significant environmental issues , although much of the country's household and industrial waste is now increasingly filtered and sometimes recycled. The country has historically taken a progressive stance on environmental preservation ; in 1971 Denmark established

9514-449: The capital region). It is the metropolitan part, and most populous constituent part of, the Kingdom of Denmark , a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean . Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south of Sweden , south of Norway , and north of Germany , with which it shares

9648-555: The cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products. Denmark maintained its neutral stance during World War I . After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism , Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite ; the two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig

9782-554: The coastal waters. It was originally hypothesized that the massive outburst from paleohistorical Lake Agassiz had flooded the North Atlantic via the Saint Lawrence Seaway , but little geological evidence had been found. For instance, the salinity in the Saint Lawrence Seaway did not decline, as would have been expected from massive quantities of meltwater. More recent research instead shows that floodwaters followed

9916-513: The coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Denmark largely consists of arable land . It is drained by a dozen or so rivers , and the most significant include the Gudenå , Odense , Skjern , Suså and Vidå —a river that flows along its southern border with Germany. The country has 1008 lakes, 16 have an area of more than 500 hectares (1,200 acres). Lake Arresø , located northwest of Copenhagen,

10050-727: The continental interior. The Southeastern United States became warmer and wetter than before. There was warming in and around the Caribbean Sea , and in West Africa . It was once believed that the Younger Dryas cooling started at around the same time across the Northern Hemisphere. However, varve (sedimentary rock) analysis carried out in 2015 suggested that the cooling proceeded in two stages: first along latitude 56–54°N, 12,900–13,100 years ago, and then further north, 12,600–12,750 years ago. Evidence from Lake Suigetsu cores in Japan and

10184-434: The cooling was spread out over several centuries, and the same was true of the early-Holocene warming. Even in the Northern Hemisphere, temperature change was highly seasonal, with much colder winters, cooler springs, yet no change or even slight warming during the summer. Substantial changes in precipitation also took place, with cooler areas experiencing substantially lower rainfall, while warmer areas received more of it. In

10318-469: The country and, in total, 12.9% of the land is now forested. Norway spruce is the most widespread tree (2017); an important tree in the Christmas tree production . Denmark holds a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 0.5/10, ranking it 171st globally out of 172 countries—behind only San Marino . Roe deer occupy the countryside in growing numbers, and large-antlered red deer can be found in

10452-411: The country was able to implement effective climate protection policies. In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again. In 2021 Denmark, with Costa Rica, launched the "Beyond Oil and Gas alliance" for stopping use fossil fuels. Denmark's territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands , catch approximately 650 whales per year. Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to

10586-451: The disruption of the North Atlantic Ocean circulation that results in a series of extreme weather events that create an abrupt climate change that leads to a new ice age . Before Present In a convention that is not always observed, many sources restrict the use of BP dates to those produced with radiocarbon dating; the alternative notation "RCYBP" stands for the explicit "radio carbon years before present". The BP scale

10720-617: The eastern and central areas. While the Pacific Northwest region cooled by 2–3 °C (3.6–5.4 °F), cooling in western North America was generally less intense. While the Orca Basin in the Gulf of Mexico still experienced a drop in sea surface temperature of 2.4 ± 0.6°C, land areas closer to it, such as Texas , the Grand Canyon area and New Mexico , ultimately did not cool as much as

10854-580: The ensuing peace settlement , Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm. Attaining great popularity following the war, Frederick III used this to disband the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy , which lasted until 1848 in Denmark. Denmark tried but failed to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679). After the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to regain control of

10988-472: The equivalent cooling in the Southern Hemisphere. This "polar seesaw" pattern is consistent with changes in thermohaline circulation (particularly the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation or AMOC), which greatly affects how much heat is able to go from the Southern Hemisphere to the North. The Southern Hemisphere cools and the Northern Hemisphere warms when the AMOC is strong, and the opposite happens when it

11122-404: The eruption back to 13,006 years BP, or over a century before the Younger Dryas began. This analysis was also challenged in 2023, with some researchers suggesting that the radiocarbon analysis was tainted by magmatic carbon dioxide. For now, the debate continues without a conclusive proof or rejection of the volcanic hypothesis. The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis (YDIH) attributes the cooling to

11256-628: The euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000 . Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded self-determination in 2009. Neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies. Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to

11390-479: The exception was in tropical Atlantic areas such as Costa Rica , where temperature change was similar to Greenland's. The Holocene warming then proceeded across the globe, following an increase in carbon dioxide levels during the YD period (from ~210 ppm to ~275 ppm). Younger Dryas cooling was often accompanied by glacier advance and lowering of the regional snow line , with evidence found in areas such as Scandinavia,

11524-535: The executive branch, the Cabinet is responsible for proposing bills and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of Denmark. The position of prime minister belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Folketing; this is often the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties . A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of

11658-471: The exponential decay relation and the "Libby half-life" 5568 a. The ages are expressed in years before present (BP) where "present" is defined as AD 1950. The year 1950 was chosen because it was the standard astronomical epoch at that time. It also marked the publication of the first radiocarbon dates in December 1949, and 1950 also antedates large-scale atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons , which altered

11792-536: The formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other Government ministers. The Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct . Hereditary monarch King Frederik X has been head of state since 14 January 2024. The Danish parliament is unicameral and called the Folketing ( Danish : Folketinget ). It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and

11926-477: The glaciers retreat, and it drops if glaciers grow. Altogether, there appears to have been little change in sea level throughout the Younger Dryas. This is in contrast to rapid increases before and after, such as the Meltwater Pulse 1A . On the coasts, glacier advance and retreat also affects relative sea level . Western Norway experienced a relative sea level rise of 10 m ( 32 + 2 ⁄ 3  ft) as

12060-480: The global ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 . Dates determined using radiocarbon dating come as two kinds: uncalibrated (also called Libby or raw ) and calibrated (also called Cambridge ) dates. Uncalibrated radiocarbon dates should be clearly noted as such by "uncalibrated years BP", because they are not identical to calendar dates. This has to do with the fact that the level of atmospheric radiocarbon ( carbon-14 or C) has not been strictly constant during

12194-527: The hypothesis, and argue that all of the microparticles are adequately explained by the terrestrial processes. For instance, mineral inclusions from YD-period sediments in Hall's Cave, Texas, have been interpreted by YDIH proponents as extraterrestrial in origin, but a paper published in 2020 argues that they are more likely to be volcanic. Opponents argue that there is no evidence for massive wildfires which would have been caused by an airburst of sufficient size to affect

12328-459: The impact of a disintegrating comet or asteroid. Because there is no impact crater dating to the Younger Dryas period, the proponents usually suggest the impact had struck the Laurentide ice sheet , so that the crater would have disappeared when the ice sheet melted during the Holocene, or that it was an airburst, which would only leave micro- and nanoparticles behind as evidence. Most experts reject

12462-488: The island of Bornholm . Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark , conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen . King Frederick III actively led the defence of the city, rallying its citizens to take up arms, and repelled the Swedish attacks . The siege ended following the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. In

12596-412: The lack of sea level rise during this period, so other theories have also emerged. An extraterrestrial impact into the Laurentide ice sheet (where it would have left no impact crater) was proposed as an explanation, but this hypothesis has numerous issues and no support from mainstream science. A volcanic eruption as an initial trigger for cooling and sea ice growth has been proposed more recently, and

12730-408: The lack of sea level rise during the Younger Dryas onset by connecting it with a volcanic eruption. Eruptions often deposit large quantities of sulfur dioxide particles in the atmosphere, where they are known as aerosols , and can have a large cooling effect by reflecting sunlight. This phenomenon can also be caused by anthropogenic sulfur pollution, where it is known as global dimming . Cooling from

12864-486: The last and the strongest of these events. However, there is some debate over what caused the AMOC to become so weak in the first place. The hypothesis historically most supported by scientists was an interruption from an influx of fresh, cold water from North America's Lake Agassiz into the Atlantic Ocean. While there is evidence of meltwater travelling via the Mackenzie River , this hypothesis may not be consistent with

12998-672: The latter being deeply involved in the Second Northern War (1655–1660), and marched on Bremen-Verden . This led to a massive Danish defeat as the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered Jutland and, following the Swedish March across the frozen Danish straits , occupied Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658, which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge , Bohuslän , Trøndelag , and

13132-457: The latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union known as the Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden , united under Queen Margaret I . The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start, Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear "senior" partner of

13266-780: The lowercase letters bp , bc and ad as terminology for uncalibrated dates for these eras. The Centre for Ice and Climate at the University of Copenhagen instead uses the unambiguous "b2k", for "years before 2000 AD", often in combination with the Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) time scale. Some authors who use the YBP dating format also use "YAP" ("years after present") to denote years after 1950. SI prefix multipliers may be used to express larger periods of time, e.g. ka BP (thousand years BP), Ma BP (million years BP) and many others . Radiocarbon dating

13400-540: The main reason why Northern Hemisphere summers generally did not cool during the Younger Dryas. Since winds carry moisture in the form of clouds, these changes also affect precipitation . Thus, evidence from the pollen record shows that some areas have become very arid, including Scotland, the North American Midwest , Anatolia and southern China . As North Africa, including the Sahara Desert , became drier,

13534-453: The most abrupt climatic changes during the YD. Climate models also indicate that a single freshwater outburst, no matter how large, would not have been able to weaken the AMOC for over 1,000 years, as required by the Younger Dryas timeline, unless other factors were also involved. Some modelling explains this by showing that the melting of Laurentide Ice Sheet led to greater rainfall over the Atlantic Ocean, freshening it and so helping to weaken

13668-553: The name "Denmark", the relationship between "Danes" and "Denmark", and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate. This is centred primarily on the morpheme "Dan" and whether it refers to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the - "mark" ending. Most etymological dictionaries and handbooks derive "Dan" from a word meaning "flat land", related to German Tenne "threshing floor", English den "cave". The element mark

13802-508: The name (standard codes are used) of the laboratory concerned, and other information such as confidence levels, because of differences between the methods used by different laboratories and changes in calibrating methods. Conversion from Gregorian calendar years to Before Present years is by starting with the 1950-01-01 epoch of the Gregorian calendar and increasing the BP year count with each year into

13936-502: The north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 736 km (457 mi) (land area only: 232.33 km (144.36 mi) and 730 km (454 mi) respectively). It shares a border of 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal shoreline (including small bays and inlets ). No location in Denmark

14070-469: The number of seats to form a cabinet on its own; Denmark has often been ruled by coalition governments , themselves usually minority governments dependent on non-government parties. Following the 2022 Danish general election in November 2022, incumbent prime minister and Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen in December 2022 formed the current Frederiksen II Cabinet , a coalition government with

14204-406: The onset of the Younger Dryas, so that it would have been able to shed icebergs into the North Atlantic, which would have been able to weaken the circulation consistently. Notably, changes in sea ice cover would have had no impact on sea levels, which is consistent with the absence of significant sea level rise during the Younger Dryas, and particularly during its onset. Some scientists also explain

14338-456: The parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg and the 1773 Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo , respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars , Denmark traded with both France and

14472-572: The past from that Gregorian date. For example, 1000 BP corresponds to 950 AD, 1949 BP corresponds to 1 AD, 1950 BP corresponds to 1 BC, 2000 BP corresponds to 51 BC. Denmark – in Europe  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green) Denmark is a Nordic country in the south-central portion of Northern Europe with a population of nearly 6 million; 770,000 live in Copenhagen (1.9 million in

14606-429: The powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence , the Folketing may force a single minister or an entire government to resign. The Government of Denmark operates as a cabinet government , where executive authority is exercised—formally, on behalf of the monarch—by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers , who head ministries . As

14740-479: The presence of anomalously high levels of volcanism immediately preceding the onset of the Younger Dryas has been confirmed in both ice cores and cave deposits. The Younger Dryas is named after the alpine – tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala , because its fossils are abundant in the European (particularly Scandinavian ) sediments dating to this timeframe. The two earlier geologic time intervals where this flower

14874-522: The region despite being retarded, indicating the absence of permafrost and glaciation. On the other hand, the warming of the Southern Hemisphere led to ice loss in Antarctica, South America and New Zealand. Moreover, while Greenland as a whole had cooled, glaciers had only grown in the north of the island, and they had retreated from the rest of Greenland's coasts. This was likely driven by the strengthened Irminger Current . The Jabllanica mountain range in

15008-522: The result of a northward shift in the jet stream, combined with an increase in summer insolation as well as a winter snow pack that was higher than today, with prolonged and wetter spring seasons. The Younger Dryas is often linked to the Neolithic Revolution , with the adoption of agriculture in the Levant . The cold and dry Younger Dryas arguably lowered the carrying capacity of the area and forced

15142-477: The sedentary early Natufian population into a more mobile subsistence pattern. Further climatic deterioration is thought to have brought about cereal cultivation. While relative consensus exists regarding the role of the Younger Dryas in the changing subsistence patterns during the Natufian, its connection to the beginning of agriculture at the end of the period is still being debated. The scientific consensus links

15276-613: The south-eastern territories of Kent , the Isle of Wight and other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading Angles and Saxons , who formed the Anglo-Saxons . The remaining Jutish population in Jutland assimilated in with the settling Danes . A short note about the Dani in Getica by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of

15410-481: The southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster ) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude; the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the small Ertholmene archipelago 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi). The metropolitan part

15544-596: The span of time that can be radiocarbon-dated. Uncalibrated radiocarbon ages can be converted to calendar dates by calibration curves based on comparison of raw radiocarbon dates of samples independently dated by other methods, such as dendrochronology (dating based on tree growth-rings) and stratigraphy (dating based on sediment layers in mud or sedimentary rock). Such calibrated dates are expressed as cal BP, where "cal" indicates "calibrated years", or "calendar years", before 1950. Many scholarly and scientific journals require that published calibrated results be accompanied by

15678-476: The sparse woodlands of Jutland. Denmark is also home to smaller mammals, such as polecats , hares and hedgehogs . Approximately 400 bird species inhabit Denmark and about 160 of those breed in the country. Large marine mammals include healthy populations of Harbour porpoise , growing numbers of pinnipeds and occasional visits of large whales, including blue whales and orcas . Cod , herring and plaice are abundant culinary fish in Danish waters and form

15812-406: The start of the 21st century. Strong cooling of around 2–6 °C (3.6–10.8 °F) had also taken place in Europe. Icefields and glaciers formed in upland areas of Great Britain , while many lowland areas developed permafrost , implying a cooling of −5 °C (23 °F) and a mean annual temperature no higher than −1 °C (30 °F). North America also became colder, particularly in

15946-493: The summer. An exception appears to have taken place in what is now Maine , where winter temperatures remained stable, yet summer temperatures decreased by up to 7.5 °C (13.5 °F). While the Northern Hemisphere cooled, considerable warming occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. Sea surface temperatures were warmer by 0.3–1.9 °C (0.54–3.42 °F), and Antarctica , South America (south of Venezuela ) and New Zealand all experienced warming. The net temperature change

16080-404: The thermohaline circulation, mineralogical and geochemical evidence or for simultaneous human population declines and mass animal extinctions which would have been required by this hypothesis. Statistical analysis shows that the Younger Dryas is merely the last of 25 or 26 Dansgaard–Oeschger events (D–O events) over the past 120,000 years. These episodes are characterized by abrupt changes in

16214-485: The union's economy and in 1813 Denmark–Norway went bankrupt. The union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Danish monarchy "irrevocably and forever" renounced claims to the Kingdom of Norway in favour of the Swedish king. Denmark kept the possessions of Iceland (which retained the Danish monarchy until 1944), the Faroe Islands and Greenland , all of which had been governed by Norway for centuries. Apart from

16348-528: The union. Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm . The Protestant Reformation spread to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into

16482-471: The until then leading opposition party Venstre and the recently founded Moderate party . Denmark has a civil law system with some references to Germanic law . Denmark resembles Norway and Sweden in never having developed a case-law like that of England and the United States nor comprehensive codes like those of France and Germany. Much of its law is customary . The judicial system of Denmark

16616-527: The volcanic hypothesis. Events similar to the Younger Dryas appear to have occurred during the other terminations - a term used to describe a comparatively rapid transition from cold glacial conditions to warm interglacials. The analysis of lake and marine sediments can reconstruct past temperatures from the presence or absence of certain lipids and long chain alkenones , as these molecules are very sensitive to temperature. This analysis provides evidence for YD-like events during Termination II (the end of

16750-546: The western subtropical North Atlantic show that the "bottom water" lingered there for 1,000 years, twice the age of Late Holocene bottom waters from the same site around 1,500 BP. Further, the otherwise anomalous warming of the southeastern United States matches the hypothesis that as the AMOC weakened and transported less heat from the Caribbean towards Europe through the North Atlantic Gyre , more of it would stay trapped in

16884-407: Was liberated after the end of the war in May 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands , became a member of what is now the European Union , but negotiated certain opt-outs , such as retaining its own currency, the krone . Denmark is a developed country with a high standard of living , and was the first country to legally recognise same-sex partnerships . It

17018-591: Was a relatively modest cooling of 0.6 °C (1.1 °F). Temperature changes of the Younger Dryas lasted 1,150–1,300 years. According to the International Commission on Stratigraphy , the Younger Dryas ended around 11,700 years ago, although some research places it closer to 11,550 years ago. The end of Younger Dryas was also abrupt: in previously cooled areas, warming to previous levels took place over 50–60 years. The tropics experienced more gradual temperature recovery over several centuries;

17152-683: Was abundant in Europe are the Oldest Dryas (approx. 18,500-14,000 BP) and Older Dryas (~14,050–13,900 BP), respectively. On the contrary, Dryas octopetala was rare during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial . Instead, European temperatures were warm enough to support trees in Scandinavia, as seen at the Bølling and Allerød sites in Denmark . In Ireland , the Younger Dryas has also been known as

17286-476: Was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948. Greenland obtained home rule in 1979 and further autonomy in 2009. The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea . In 1397, it formed the Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden. This union persisted until Sweden's secession in 1523. The remaining Kingdom of Denmark–Norway endured

17420-446: Was first used in 1949. Beginning in 1954, metrologists established 1950 as the origin year for the BP scale for use with radiocarbon dating, using a 1950-based reference sample of oxalic acid . According to scientist A. Currie Lloyd: The problem was tackled by the international radiocarbon community in the late 1950s, in cooperation with the U.S. National Bureau of Standards . A large quantity of contemporary oxalic acid dihydrate

17554-478: Was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as kings ( reges ). Under the reign of Gudfred in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm. The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old , who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by

17688-525: Was prepared as NBS Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4990B. Its C concentration was about 5% above what was believed to be the natural level, so the standard for radiocarbon dating was defined as 0.95 times the C concentration of this material, adjusted to a C reference value of −19 per mil (PDB). This value is defined as "modern carbon" referenced to AD 1950. Radiocarbon measurements are compared to this modern carbon value, and expressed as "fraction of modern" (fM). "Radiocarbon ages" are calculated from fM using

17822-456: Was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kilometres (1,538 sq mi). The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924. In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered. World War II in Denmark was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when

17956-558: Was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. Swedish armies invaded Jutland in 1643 and claimed Scania in 1644. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro , Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland , the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. Seeing an opportunity to tear up the Treaty of Brømsebro, King Frederick III of Denmark , in 1657, declared war on Sweden,

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