The exclusive role of natural ecosystems is a key factor in the maintenance of the biospheric equilibrium. The current global crisis is largely caused by their dramatic decline by 43% in the past hundred years. Ignoring the immutable laws and limitations which determine the existence of all living things in the biosphere could lead humanity to an ecological catastrophe. This book presents the ecological, demographic, economic and socio-psychological manifestations of the global crisis and outlines the immutable laws and limitations which determine the existence of all living things in the biosphere.

The authors are eminently qualified to write about the problems associated with the global crisis and consider the causes behind humanity's conflict with its environment. V. Danilov-Danilian, Associate of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russia's former Minister of the Environment, and K. Losev, professor at Moscow State university, are leading Russian ecologists and I. Reyf is a journalist who specializes in ecology and global development. Dr. Danilov-Danilian works on the economics of nature management, economic and mathematical model building, sustainable development theory and ecology. Dr Losev is the chief researcher and head of the division of the VINITI. All the authors have published numerous papers, articles and books on such subjects as glaciology, hydrology, environment studies, global change and sustainable development.

Regional Climate of China is the first volume to present the latest research findings gained over the last decade which has greatly advanced our knowledge of the regional climate researches in China. A distinctive feature of the volume is that it is based on an integration of researches by using the advanced technologies, such as field observation and experiment, satellite information and numerical models in the regional climate studies.

An up-to-date text on climate change focussing on technical solutions for the most important and climate relevant economic sectors is presented. It is intended for key decision makers, and administrators within industry, agricultural and energy sectors, as well as masters students and post graduates. The first of three sections covers the scientific basis of climate change and the instruments to prevent or reduce negative climate effects. It includes a survey covering current practices at different levels. The second discusses evaluation methods for climate impacts from industrial processes. Climate relevant processes and measures to reduce their impact such as sequestration are defined in the final section, with the main focus being on renewable resources. Details are given on climate impacts of waste prevention, recycling and waste management as well as are proposals for every day solutions.

The enormous progress over the last decades in our understanding of the mechanisms behind the complex system "Earth" is to a large extent based on the availability of enlarged data sets and sophisticated methods for their analysis. Univariate as well as multivariate time series are a particular class of such data which are of special importance for studying the dynamical p- cesses in complex systems. Time series analysis theory and applications in geo- and astrophysics have always been mutually stimulating, starting with classical (linear) problems like the proper estimation of power spectra, which hasbeenputforwardbyUdnyYule(studyingthefeaturesofsunspotactivity) and, later, by John Tukey. In the second half of the 20th century, more and more evidence has been accumulated that most processes in nature are intrinsically non-linear and thus cannot be su?ciently studied by linear statistical methods. With mat- matical developments in the ?elds of dynamic system's theory, exempli?ed by Edward Lorenz's pioneering work, and fractal theory, starting with the early fractal concepts inferred by Harold Edwin Hurst from the analysis of geoph- ical time series, nonlinear methods became available for time seriesanalysis as well. Over the last decades, these methods have attracted an increasing int- est in various branches of the earth sciences. The world's leading associations of geoscientists, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the European Geosciences Union (EGU) have reacted to these trends with the formation of special nonlinear focus groups and topical sections, which are actively present at the corresponding annual assemblies.

In 1998, my colleague, Forrest Mims, and I began a project to develop inexpensive handheld atmosphere monitoring instruments for the GLOBE Program, an international environmental science and education program that began its operations on Earth Day, 1995. GLOBE's goal was to involve students, teachers, and scientists around the world in authentic partn- ships in which scientists would develop instrumentation and experimental protocols suitable for student use. In return, data collected by students and their teachers would be used by scientists in their research. This kind of collaboration represented a grand vision for science education which had never before been attempted on such a scale, and we embraced this vision with great enthusiasm. Between 1998 and 2006, Forrest Mims and I collaborated on the development of several instruments based on Mims' original concept of using light emitting diodes as spectrally selective detectors of sunlight, which was first published in the peer-reviewed literature in 1992. These instruments have evolved into a set of tools and procedures for monitoring the transmission of sunlight through the atmosphere, and they can be used to learn a great deal about the composition of the atmosphere and the dynamics of the Earth/atmosphere/sun system. If measurements with these instruments are made properly, they have significant scientific value, as well.

Field Measurements for Environmental Remote Sensing: Instrumentation, Intensive Campaigns, and Satellite Applications is an academic synthesis of invaluable in situ measurements and techniques leveraged by the science of environmental remote sensing. Sections cover in situ datasets and observing methods used for satellite remote sending applications and validation, synthesizing the various techniques utilized by well-established application areas under a common paradigm. The book serves as both a textbook for students (upper-level undergraduate to graduate level) and a reference book for practitioners and researchers in the atmospheric, oceanic and remote sensing fields.

Extreme Weather Forecasting reviews current knowledge about extreme weather events, including key elements and less well-known variables to accurately forecast them. The book covers multiple temporal scales as well as components of current weather forecasting systems. Sections cover case studies on successful forecasting as well as the impacts of extreme weather predictability, presenting a comprehensive and model agnostic review of best practices for atmospheric scientists and others who utilize extreme weather forecasts.

The book is based on selected contributions presented at the (General) Session on the "Observation, Prediction and Verification of Precipitation" of the 2006 EGU General Assembly held in Vienna, Austria. It focuses on current advances in the field of precipitation measurement (i.e. instrumentation), estimation (i.e. remote sensing) and prediction (i.e. modeling). Following an introduction, which includes definitions and a summary on the history of measurement, estimation and prediction of precipitation, modern methods in the measurement, estimation and predication of precipitation are presented followed by the integration of the three themes for improved precipitation estimates and prediction as well as calibration and fine-tuning of methods. It describes advances in in-situ ground based instruments, in remote sensing methods of precipitation from space, ground and underwater observations and state of the art methods of precipitation nowcasting and forecasting, along with verification.

Solar radiation data is important for a wide range of applications, e.g. in engineering, agriculture, health sector, and in many fields of the natural sciences. A few examples showing the diversity of applications may include: architecture and building design e.g. air conditioning and cooling systems; solar heating system design and use; solar power generation; weather and climate prediction models; evaporation and irrigation; calculation of water requirements for crops; monitoring plant growth and disease control; skin cancer research.

Solar radiation data must be provided in a variety of forms to suit these applications. The radiation reaching the upper atmosphere of the Earth is a quantity rather constant in time. But the radiation reaching some point on Earth surface is random in nature. The main cause is the fact that various gases within the atmosphere absorb solar radiation at different wavelengths, and clouds and dust also affect it.

There are two ways to obtaining solar radiation data at ground level: by measurement and by modelling. The book will facilitate the calculation of solar radiation required by engineers, designers and scientists and, as a result, will increase the access to needed solar radiation data.

Originally formed around a set of lectures presented at a NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI), this book has grown in scope and in aspiration to become organised and presented rather more as a textbook than as a standard collection of proceedings. The lack of a unified reference textbook covering both the science of seasonal to interannual predictions and real-world uses of the forecasts was the main driver for the effort placed into writing an amalgamated introductory book, each chapter of which has been thoroughly peer reviewed. Throughout, our objective has been to present a book accessible to people from diverse disciplines, both scientific and social, interested in this intriguing and fast emerging area.

This crucial volume arose out of the success of the first workshop of the Cyprus Institute held in 2005. The proceedings present an overview of the implications of climate change for the eastern Mediterranean and the impact of climate change response on regional economic activity, particularly in the hydrocarbon industry. This book is aimed not just at scientists and researchers but should command a much wider audience, including policy makers and politicians.

In Asia and the Pacific, climate change is now a well-recognised risk to water security but responses to this risk are either under reported, or continue to be guided by the incremental or business as usual approaches. Water policy still tends to remain too narrow and fragmented, compared to the multi-sectoral and cross-scalar nature of risks to water security. What's more, current water security debates tend to be framed in discipline specific or academic ways, failing to understand decision making and problem-solving contexts within which policy actors and partitioners have to operate on a daily basis. Much of the efforts to date has focussed on assessing and predicting the risks in the context of increasing levels of uncertainty. There is still limited analysis of emerging practices of risks assessment and mitigation in different contexts in Asia and the Pacific. Going beyond the national scales and focussing on several socio-ecological zones, this book captures stories written by engaged scholars on recent attempts to develop cross-sectoral and cross-scaler solutions to assess and mitigate risks to water security across Asia and the Pacific. Identifying lessons from successes and failures, it highlights management and strategic lessons that water and climate leaders of Asia and the Pacific need to consider. This book showcases reflective and analytical thought pieces written by key actors in the climate and water spaces. Several critical socio-ecological zones are covered - from Pakistan in the west to pacific islands in the east. The chapters clearly identify strategies for improvement based on the analysis of emerging responses to climate risks to water security and gaps in current practices. The book will include an editorial introduction and a final synthesis chapter to ensure clear articulation of common themes and to highlight the overall messages of the book.

This collection of peer reviewed papers represents a concise, up-to-date summary of our current knowledge of planetary boundary layer (PBL) physics and parameterization. As such, it makes a major contribution to the interchange of knowledge and ideas between physicists, meteorologists and environmental modellers and sets out the course to be followed in subsequent research to improve PBL parameterizations in climate, numerical weather prediction, air quality, and emergency preparedness models.

Major themes covered are: Nature and theory of turbulent boundary layers; Boundary layer flows a" modelling and applications to environmental security; Nature, theory and modelling of boundary-layer flows; and Air flows within and above urban and other complex canopies a" air-sea-ice interactions.

The NATO Advanced Research Workshop, held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 18-22 April 2006, that gave rise to this, book was attended by 57 scientists drawn from 21 countries on four continents. In recognition of his outstanding career and reaching the milestone age of 70, the workshop was dedicated to Professor Sergej Zilitinkevitch and a substantial number of contributions are based on or linked to his fundamental work.

This original book describes the behavior of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific. It investigates the broad range of disturbance effects these violent storms have on the physical environments of the islands that lie in their path and the people who live on them. It is the first book to link these two themes the characteristics of cyclones and their landscape impacts. Examples and illustrations are drawn widely from across the region, resulting in a highly readable volume.

Global change due to natural processes and anthropogenic activity as well as the natural variability of the climate system will impact all areas of the globe. However, the impact will not be uniform and different impacts of differing magnitude and nature will be felt in various regions of the globe. The Mediterranean region, like other regions of the world, will face some unique and different impacts. The uniqueness and difference in the Mediterranean are to be expected given some special dynamical, chemical, biological, and land characteristics of the region. The Mediterranean region is often exposed to multiple stresses, such as a simultaneous water shortage and air pollution. This is a consequence of its unique location and emissions. One of the common stresses in North Africa is water shortage and distribution amongst the seasons. Air pollution can often add to the water stress. Air pollution occurs due to emissions in the region as well as from those transported from other areas and can occur when there is low water availability. Multiple stresses are likely to grow in the future when human induced stress is likely to increase due to the rapid industrialization of the region. This NATO workshop was set up to discuss these issues in general, and the influence of chemical emissions and transformation in particular. This workshop was special because it involved a very large number of scientists (>75%) from the region, either from North Africa or the Mediterranean Europe. Many key issues, some of which are specific to this region, were identified. Details of the findings and suggestions are presented in the articles in this volume. The workshop was held in Marrakech, Morocco, from 23rd to 26th November 2006.

This book presents decade-long advances in atmospheric research in the Mackenzie River Basin in northern Canada, which encompasses environments representative of most cold areas on Earth. Collaborative efforts have yielded knowledge entirely transferable to other high latitude regions in America, Europe and Asia. This book complements the first volume coming from the GEWEX project, dealing with the region's atmospheric dynamics.

This book presents decade-long advances in atmospheric research in the Mackenzie River Basin in northern Canada, which encompasses environments representative of the coldest areas on Earth. Collaborative efforts by a team of about 100 scientists and engineers have yielded knowledge entirely transferable to other high latitude regions in America, Europe and Asia.

Predictions of our future climate vary greatly, with detailed forecasts still subject to debate. One key uncertainty is caused by the lack of our present knowledge of transport processes in the air-water interface, which poses the main transfer resistance between the oceans and atmosphere. Modeling and predictions of our global climate can only be improved by gaining a more complete understanding of the mechanisms involved in transporting energy, mass and momentum across the phase boundary.

This monograph contains selected, peer-reviewed post-conference contributions of the International Workshop on Transport at the Air-Sea Interface, which took place at Heidelberg University from September 6-8, 2006. The workshop brought together leading scientists from around the world, bridged the gap between modeling and measurements, and sparked new ideas for novel simulation and experimental efforts. The focus of the monograph is on small scale processes directly at the interface and includes the topics:

- Small-scale transport processes at the air-sea interface: surface divergence, microscale and largescale wave breaking, intermittency and rain-induced gas exchange

- Novel measurement techniques including eddy correlation measurements, active and passive thermography, visualization of concentration fields by fluorescent dyes, profile measurements and visualization of flow fields by particle imaging velocimetry (PIV)

- Modeling of the transport across the air-water interface and simulation of flow fields as well as concentration fields in the boundary layer

- Parameterizations of the transfer process for global modeling

This topical volume of the Journal of Pure and Applied Geophysics utilizes new information not previously accessible for fog related research. It focuses on surface and remote sensing observations of fog, various numerical model applications using new parameterizations, fog climatology, and new statistical methods. The results presented in this special issue come from research efforts in North America and Europe.

Written by seven internationally known experts, the articles in this book present the fundamentals and practical applications of contemporary wind engineering. It covers complex problems in wind-building interaction from the perspective of a structural designer, examining both experimental and computational approaches and their relative merits.

Deep time is the timescale of the geological events that have shaped our planet. Whilst so immense as to challenge human understanding, its evidence is nonetheless visible all around us. Through explanations of the latest research and over 200 fascinating images, Deep Time explores this evidence, from the visible layers in ancient rock to the hiss of static on the radio, and from fossilized shark's teeth to underwater forests. These relics of ancient epochs, many of which we can see and touch today, connect our present to the distant past and answer broader questions about our place in the timeline of the Earth. Charting 4.5 billion years of geological history, this is the story of our world, from its birth to the dawn of civilization.

This second edition contains new sections such as space weather data sources and examples, new satellite missions, and latest results. The importance of the Sun for the Earth, life on Earth, climate and weather processes was recognized long ago by the ancients. Now, for the first time, there is a continuous surveillance of solar activity at nearly all wavelengths. These data can be used to improve our understanding of the complex Sun-Earth interaction. Since the field is quite interdisciplinary, the book will be of interest to scientists working in different fields such as solar physics, geophysics, and space physics.

This book provides an updated overview of the processes determining the influence of solar forcing on climate. It discusses in particular the most recent developments regarding the role of aerosols in the climate system and the new insights that could be gained from the investigation of terrestrial climate analogues. The book 's structure mirrors that of the ISSI workshop held in Bern in June 2005.

This book provides an integrated assessment of issues related to climate variability and change, predictability and risks. The book deals with both the technical aspects of variability and (abrupt) climate change and the agricultural and economical impacts and consequences.

This book treats atmospheric convection from different angles including the theoretical aspects of atmospheric deep convection and the weather phenomena related to convection. The problem of boundary conditions that result in severe convective weather patterns is explored within the framework of worldwide climatology. The book bridges the gap between theory and its operational application both within the fields of weather forecasting and that of risk management.