Climate
Climate - average condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface over a long period of time, taking into account temperature, precipitation (see rain), humidity, wind, barometric pressure, and other phenomena.
Primary Influence on Climate
The major influence governing the climate of a region is its latitude. A broad latitudinal division of the earth's surface into climatic zones based on Read More...
Climate - average condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface over a long period of time, taking into account temperature, precipitation (see rain), humidity, wind, barometric pressure, and other phenomena. Primary Influence on Climate The major influence governing the climate of a region is its latitude. A broad latitudinal division of the earth's surface into climatic zones based on global winds includes the equatorial zone, or doldrums, characterized by high temperatures with small seasonal and diurnal change and heavy rainfall; the subtropical, including the trade-wind belts and the horse latitudes, a dry region with uniformly mild temperatures and little wind; the intermediate, the region of the prevailing westerlies that, because of several secondary influences, displays wide temperature ranges and marked changeability of weather; and the polar, a region of short summers and long winters, where the ground is generally perpetually frozen (see permafrost). The transitional climate between those of the subtropical and intermediate zones, known as the Mediterranean type, is found in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea and on the west coasts of continents. It is characterized by mild temperatures with moderate winter rainfall under the influence of the moisture-laden prevailing westerlies and dry summers under the influence of the horse latitudes or the trade winds. Secondary Influences on Climate The influence of latitude on climate is modified by one or more secondary influences including position relative to land and water masses, altitude, topography, prevailing winds, ocean currents, and prevalence of cyclonic storms. Climatic types combining the basic factor of latitude with one or more secondary influences include the continental and the marine. Except in the equatorial region, the continental type is marked by dry, sunny weather with low humidity and seasonal extremes in temperature; noteworthy are the Sahara (with the highest temperature on record, 136 degrees Fahrenheit, or 58 degrees Celsius, at Tripoli) and Siberia (with the lowest recorded surface temperature, −93.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or −70 degrees Celsius, at Verkhoyansk). Marine climates are characterized by small annual and diurnal temperature variation and by copious rainfall on the windward side of coastal highlands and mountainous islands; notable is the mean annual precipitation of 451 in. (1146 cm) at Mt. Waialeale, Hawaii. The coastal, or littoral, climate is one in which the direction of the prevailing winds plays a dominant role—the east coasts having generally the heavier rainfall in the trade-wind belts, the west coasts in westerly belts. Both coasts have a climate resembling the continental during the season when the wind is blowing from the interior of the continent. An instance of the coastal type, in which the precipitation is accentuated by the nearness of a mountain barrier, is the west coast of North America from Alaska to Oregon, where the mean annual precipitation averages 80 to 100 in. (203 to 254 cm), almost all of it falling during the winter months. Elevation is the dominant factor in mountain and plateau climates, with the temperature decreasing about 3 degrees Fahrenheit per 1,000 ft (1.7 degrees Celsius per 305 m) of ascent and rainfall increasing with altitude up to about 6000 ft (1829 m), then decreasing with further elevation. Climatology and Climatic Change Climatology, the science of climate and its relation to plant and animal life, is important in many fields, including agriculture, aviation, medicine, botany, zoology, geology, and geography. Changes in climate affect, for example, the plant and animal life of a given area. The presence of coal beds in North America and Europe along with evidence of glaciation in these same areas indicates that they must have experienced alternately warmer and colder climates than they now possess. Despite yearly fluctuations of climatic elements, there has been, apparently, little overall change during the period of recorded history. Numerous climatic cycles (variations in weather elements that recur with considerable regularity) have been claimed to exist, including an 11-year cycle related to sunspot activity. There is currently much concern that human activities are changing the earth's climate in harmful ways. Computer models of climate changes have been developed in recent years; some examine potential parameters that effect global warming or cooling. Bibliography See H. H. Lamb, Climate History and the Future (1985); J. R. Herman and R. A. Sun, Weather and Climate (1985). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved. |
Climate
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With weather-related losses on the rise, this timely volume explores the poorly-understood fields of hazard vulnerability and disaster management. Including issues of societal responses to climate change, as well as insurance matters and current research methodologies, Thomas Downing presents an overview of the future of climatic disasters, and our ability to cope with them.
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Throughout history, the weather has been both feared and revered for its powerful influence over living creatures. Not only does it control our moods, activities, and fashions, but it has also played a crucial role in broader issues of cultural identity, concepts of time, and economic development. In fact, the weather has become so ingrained in our everyday routines that many of us forget just how profoundly this omnipotent force shapes culture. With the continuing rise in global warming and consequential change in weather patterns, our awareness and understanding of this topic has never been so important.This fascinating book is the first to explore our close relationship with the weather. From folklore to visual representations, agricultural and health practices, and unusual weather events, Weather, Climate, Culture demonstrates that the way we discuss and interpret meteorological phenomena concerns not only the events in question but, more complexly, the cultural, political, and historical framework in which we discuss them. Why is it politically safe to discuss current weather conditions, but highly controversial to discuss long-term climate change? Why are the British renowned for talking about the weather and why, in the eighteenth century, was this regarded as genteel? How can accounts of cultural or moral change be associated with narratives of changing climate and vice-versa?Drawing on a wide range of case studies from around the world, this pioneering book provides an original and lively perspective on a subject that continues to have an incalculable impact on the way we live. It will serve as a landmark text for years to come.
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Climates and Weather Explained presents a comprehensive introduction to the study of the atmosphere. Clear explanations of basic principles, concepts and processes are supported by a wealth of highly informative illustrations and an array of case studies. The authors of this innovative textbook/CD package offer valuable new insights into topical environmental concerns including climate change, global warming, sustainable population, environmental degradation, agriculture and drought. Providing resources for practical work and more advanced study, the CD-ROM features: over 170 extra scientific notes, with 60 additional illustrations and tables; interactive numerical, multiple choice and practical exercises and self-assessment tests; hypertext presentation, clear navigation; plus print-out and download options.
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The Way the Wind Blows: Climate, History, and Human Action
by Roderick J. McIntosh, Joseph A. Tainter, Susan Keech McIntosh. 423 pgs.
Scientists and policymakers are beginning to understand in ever-increasing detail that environmental problems cannot be understood solely through the biophysical sciences. Environmental issues are fundamentally human issues and must be set in the context of social, political, cultural, and economic knowledge. The need both to understand how human beings in the past responded to climatic and other environmental changes and to synthesize the implications of these historical patterns for present-day sustainability spurred a conference of the world's leading scholars on the topic. The Way the Wind Blows is the rich result of that conference. Articles discuss the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency. These themes are illustrated through discussions of human societies around the world and throughout history.
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Students can use this unique guide to discover not only what causes particular weather events such as avalanches and droughts but also how the weather affects such aspects of our daily lives as business and health. Hundreds of meteorological events, expository facts and fascinating anecdotes are presented to demonstrate the diverse methods people take in coping with or adjusting to the weather. Facts about such events as the worst tornadoes in history, as well as climographs depicting the weather patterns in different parts of the world help to provide the reader with a wealth of unusual information pertaining to the elements.
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The Little Ice Age tells the story of the turbulent, unpredictable, and often very cold years of modern European history, how this altered climate affected historical events, and what it means for today's global warming. Building on research that has only recently confirmed that the world endured a 500-year cold snap, renowned archaeologist Brian Fagan shows how the increasing cold influenced familiar events from Norse exploration to the settlement of North America to the Industrial Revolution. This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in history, climate, and how they interact.
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The luminosity of the sun governs the temperature of the planets. And the solar forcing, or driving, of climate, primarily due to changes insolar radiation, is an idea whose history has not been well documented in a book. Recent satellite measurements have shown that solar radiation varies as a function of wavelength - a concept that for the past two centuries scientists have claimed would be proved. Now, with all of the attention being given to global warming, this topic has again become timely. The book will review the physics of the concept of solar forcing in manageable terms, tracing its history from its beginnings in the early 1800s toits apparent success in the 1920s, to its near demise in the 1950s and its resurrection in recent years. Emphasis will be on solar variation as a driver for climate change, with only a brief discussion of other mechanisms - thus assuring the book a clear focus.
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For an increasing number of people, global warming is not an academic and scientific debate, but a matter of survival. As the planet warms at a rate of four degrees Fahrenheit per century, violent storms are increasing in frequency, icebergs are melting, sea level is rising, species are losing their habitats, and temperature records are being broken. Feeling the Heat consists of chapter-length visits by well-known authors to actual world "hot" spots, where people are already coping day-to-day with the consequences of climactic disruption. The locations for the book were strategically chosen because each represents a separate and important global warming impact, such as rising tides, melting glaciers, evolving ecosystems and air pollution. Feeling the Heat takes global warming out of the realm of armchair speculation and arcane scientific debate, revealing the process of climate change to be ongoing, serious and immediate.
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Storm Watchers: The Turbulent History of Weather Prediction from Franklin's Kite to El Nino
by John D. Cox. 252 pgs.
A lively, inspiring account of the pioneers who sought to accurately predict the weather Benjamin Franklin . . . James P. Espy . . . Cleveland Abbe . . . Carl-Gustaf Rossby . . . Jule G. Charney . . . just a few of the remarkable individuals who struggled against formidable odds to understand the atmosphere and predict the weather. Where they saw patterns and processes, others saw randomness and tumult-and yet they strove to make their voices heard, often saving lives in the process. Storm Watchers takes you on a fascinating journey through time that captures the evolution of weather forecasting. From the age when meteorology was considered one step removed from sorcery to the modern-day wizardry of supercomputers, John Cox introduces you to the pioneering scientists whose work fulfilled an ancient dream and made it possible to foretell the future. He tells the little-known stories of these weathermen, such as Ptolemy's weather predictions based on astrology, John Finley's breakthrough research in identifying tornadoes, and Tor Bergeron's new techniques of weather forecasting, which contributed to its final worldwide acceptance. Filled with extraordinary tales of bravery and sacrifice, Storm Watchers will make you think twice the next time you turn on the local news to catch the weather report.
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This book assembles a stellar group of contributors to provide an in-depth perspective on a nationally high visibility and complex climate event: El Nino 1997-1998. It presents what happened in the United States where El Nino became a household word and a "climate event of the century" to scientists. The book is a "snapshot" of events during a 14-month period starting when El Nino developed in the spring of 1997 and ending by early summer 1998. Its particular focus is on information that appeared in the media and on the Internet -- two major sources, correct or not, during the event.
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In 1997-98, El Nino disrupted weather patterns the world over. Europe suffered a record freeze, the American West was hit by terrible floods and snowstorms, and drought brought famine to East Africa and forest fires to Southeast Asia.In this groundbreaking work of "historical meteorology", Brian Fagan shows that these events were neither isolated nor new: El Nino has been wreaking intermittent havoc for at least five millennia. Integrating weather science, archeology, and the narrative gifts of a born storyteller, Fagan shows how dramatic shifts in climate have shaped peoples, places, and history since the dawn of time.
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Fish die. Seagulls starve. Economies wither. And that's just in the coastal villages. Here, the basic causes and effects of El Nino and La Nina, also known as ENSO (The El Nino and Southern Oscillation), are carefully chronicled for anyone in search of accurate and current information on these natural phenomena. Chapters are devoted to the historical, meteorological, ecological, and economic impacts of ENSO. A chronology of key events, biographies of important researchers, illustrations and maps, and an extensive bibliography help make this a total guide to these magnificent natural cycles.
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Laboratory Earth: The Planetary Gamble We Can't Afford to Lose (Chap. 2 "The Coevolution of Climate and Life")
by Stephen H. Schneider. 174 pgs.
One of the world's leading authorities on global change, the scientist who predicted the greenhouse effect more than twenty years ago, explores the science of global change and the current state of planet Earth. Filled with fascinating facts and information, this is a timely and important book for everyone concerned about the future of our planetand of humankind. Index. Illus.
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