Could climatic change have had an influence on the Polynesian migrations?

Environmental catastrophe in the Pacific Islands around A.D. 1300

“…The contrast between this situation and that during the ensuing Little Ice Age is striking; the later period was a time of abruptly-reduced contact between many distant colonies of Pacific Island people. The evidence is abundant in both archaeological (Irwin, 1992) and oral-historical (Fornander, 1969) records, and its likely connection with climate change been discussed extensively (Bridgman, 1983;Finney, 1985;Nunn, 1994a).…”

“…That related to increased precipitation was discussed above, but that relating to increased storminess, which Bridgman (1983) considered an important factor in explaining the end of voyaging, is considered briefly here.…”

“…), New Zealand (c.800 cal yr B.P. ), and possibly Panama (before A.D. 1514) (Bridgman, 1983;Ward and Brookfield, 1992;Nunn, 1997). On many low-latitude Pacific Islands, the aridity of the Little Climatic Optimum may have led to the development of water-conservation strategies like agricultural terracing which required cooperation between human groups.…”

Relationship between climatic change and the nomadic southward migrations in eastern Asia during historical times

“…Wigley et al, 1981), but also sometimes for population migrations (e.g. Butzer, 1983;Bridgeman, 1979Bridgeman, , 1983Lamb, 1982), for abandonment of some ancient cities or towns in present-day arid and semi-arid regions (Dahlin, 1983;Fang, 1990a), and even for the death of countless people and the disappearance of a whole civilization (Wendland and Bryson, 1974;Bryson et al, 1974Bryson et al, , 1977Weiss, 1982;Lamb, 1982).…”

Climate windows for Polynesian voyaging to New Zealand and Easter Island

“…While the drivers of Polynesian migration are not known, any intentional or systematic sailing involved in colonization voyaging, whether by vessels with only a downwind capacity or those with greater capability, would have benefited from multidecadal-scale shifts to favorably fair winds. Such conditions occur for sailing into the extratropics when tropical and subpolar air masses, traveling as high-pressure systems, migrated poleward from their mean climate position in the subtropics (the location of highest subtropical pressure is along the Subtropical Ridge, STR), weakening the prevailing zonal westerlies in favor of meridional winds (16). Modern reenactments of Polynesian voyages (4,6) show downwind sailing into the extratropical southwest Pacific is possible when northeast tradewinds replace seasonal westerlies in austral winter and spring.…”