Before the drought of the early twenty-first century, the dry benchmark in the American plains was the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. But in this eye-opening work, Kevin Z. Sweeney reveals that the Dust Bowl was only one cycle in a series of droughts on the U.S. southern plains. Reinterpreting our nation's nineteenth-century history through paleoclimatological data and firsthand accounts of four dry periods in the 1800s, Prelude to the Dust Bowl demonstrates the dramatic and little-known role drought played in settlement, migration, and war on the plains. Stephen H. Long's famed military expedition coincided with the drought of the 1820s, which prompted Long to label the southern plains a ""Great American Desert"" - a destination many Anglo-Americans thought ideal for removing Southeastern Indian tribes to in the 1830s. The second dry trend, from 1854 to 1865, drove bison herds northeastward, fomenting tribal warfare, and deprived Civil War armies in Indian Territory of vital commissary. In the late 1880s and mid-1890s, two more periods of drought triggered massive outmigration from the southern plains as well as appeals from farmers and congressmen for federal famine relief, pleas quickly denied by President Grover Cleveland. Sweeney's interpretation of familiar events through the lens of drought lays the groundwork for understanding why the U.S. government's reaction to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s was such a radical departure from previous federal responses. Prelude to the Dust Bowl provides new insights into pivotal moments in the settlement of the southern plains and stands as a timely reminder that drought, as part of a natural climatic cycle, will continue to figure in the unfolding history of this region.

Cirrus clouds are high, thin, tropospheric clouds composed predominately of ice. In the last ten years, considerable work has shown that cirrus is widespread--more common than previously believed--and has a signigicant impact on climate and global change. As the next generation weather satellites are being designed, the impact of cirrus on remote sensing and the global energy budget must be recognized and accommodated. This book, the first to be devoted entirely to cirrus clouds, captures the state of knowledge of cirrus and serves as a practical handbook as well. Each chapter is based on an invited review talk presented at Cirrus, a meeting hosted by the Optical Society of America and co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society. All aspects of cirrus clouds are covered, an approach that reaches into diverse fields. Topics include: the definition of cirrus, cirrus climatologies, nucleation, evolution and dissipation, mixed-phase thermodynamics, crystallinity, orientation mechanisms, dynamics, scattering, radiative transfer, in situ sampling, processes that produce or influence cirrus (and vice versa), contrails, and the influence of cirrus on climate.

Global Atmospheric-Biospheric Chemistry; R.G. Prinn. Atmospheric Chemistry and Composition of Air over the North Atlantic Ocean; S.A. Penkett, et al. Marine Aerosol and Gas Exchange and Global Atmospheric Effects; B.J. Huebert, et al. Multiphase Atmospheric Chemistry: Implications for Climate; R.J Charlson, J. Lelieveld. Atmospheric Chemistry of the East-Asian Northwest Pacific Region; H. Akimoto, et al. Biomass Burning in the Global Environment: First Results from the IGAC/BIBEX Field Campaign STARE/TRACEA/SAFARI92; M.O. Andreae, et al. Biosphere-Atmosphere Exchange of Trace Gases in the Tropics: Evaluating the Effects of Land Use Changes; M. Keller, P.A. Matson. Trace Gas Emissions from Rice Fields; H.U. Neue, R.L. Sass. Polar Atmosphere and Snow Chemistry; L.A. Barrie, R.J. Delmas. Terrestrial Biosphere-Atmosphere Exchange in High Latitudes; W.S. Reeburgh, et al. Exchange of Trace Gases between the Terrestrial Biosphere and the Atmosphere in the Mid-latitudes; K.A. Smith, et al. 4 additional articles. Index.

This book describes the second phase of the Qinghai-Tibetan railway construction project and is the first technological book discussing the geological routing of the Qinghai-Tibetan railway project on the "roof of the world." Based on practical experience of railway construction work, it provides a substantial number of examples with detailed descriptions and conclusions. The complex geological environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan railway as well as the selection and optimization of the route are illustrated vividly and clearly with quotes, figures, photos, and tables. Connecting Golmud and Lhasa, it has a total length of 1142 km and at the Tanggula Pass has an altitude of 5072m-higher than any other in the world. A 960 km section is on a plateau at altitudes above 4000 m, and 550 km are in the permafrost region, making it the world's longest and highest railway in the permafrost plateau region. The book is a model for the integration of theory and practice, making it a valuable reference source for civil engineering professionals working in geological routing in permafrost plateau regions, active fault zones, meizoseismal areas, nature reserves, and regions with geohazards such as steep slopes, sand and snow drifts and geothermal hazards.

This book addresses the latest research advances, innovations, and applications in the field of urban drainage and water management as presented by leading researchers, scientists and practitioners from around the world at the 11th International Conference on Urban Drainage Modelling (UDM), held in Palermo, Italy from 23 to 26 September, 2018. The conference was promoted and organized by the University of Palermo, Italy and the International Working Group on Data and Models, with the support of four of the world's leading organizations in the water sector: the International Water Association (IWA), International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) - ASCE, and the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society (iEMSs). The topics covered are highly diverse and include drainage and impact mitigation, water quality, rainfall in urban areas, urban hydrologic and hydraulic processes, tools, techniques and analysis in urban drainage modelling, modelling interactions and integrated systems, transport and sewer processes (incl. micropollutants and pathogens), and water management and climate change. The conference's primary goal is to offer a forum for promoting discussions amongst scientists and professionals on the interrelationships between the entire water cycle, environment and society.

Meteorology has made significant strides in recent years due to the development of new technologies. With the aid of the latest instruments, the analysis of atmospheric data can be optimized. Computational Techniques for Modeling Atmospheric Processes is an academic reference source that encompasses novel methods for the collection and study of meteorological data. Including a range of perspectives on pertinent topics such as air pollution, parameterization, and thermodynamics, this book is an ideal publication for researchers, academics, practitioners, and students interested in instrumental methods in the study of atmospheric processes.

This is a work of historical significance, an experimental study reproducing parts of the late Dr. Wilhelm Reich's controversial atmospheric research, specifically the technique of Cosmic Orgone Engineering ("cloudbusting"). This study took place in the late 1970s at the University of Kansas, Geography-Meteorology Department, as part of the author's graduate-level research, showing changes in cloud cover and rainfall across the state of Kansas as the apparatus was operated. Reich's original findings had been dismissed as "impossible" by the scientific community of his day, stirring up such outrage that his writings were literally "banned and burned" by Federal bureaucrats, who also threw Reich into prison on fabricated charges, where he died in 1957. This particular study was the first university-level investigation into the most extreme of Reich's claims - of an atmospheric energy which could be affected by his cloudbuster invention to bring rains over widespread areas, even during droughts or in deserts. The study verified Reich's claims. This republication of that original study also includes a major separate work as an Appendix, "Evidence for the Existence of a Principle of Atmospheric Continuity," which makes the argument for a renewed examination of the old cosmic-ether of space, as a parallel concept to Reich's orgone energy discovery. It also reviews similar inexplicable long-distance energetic phenomenon in the natural world which require a similar mechanism, such as solar-terrestrial phenomenon.

This book is a critical appraisal of the status of the so-called Climate Sciences (CS). These are contributed by many other basic sciences like physics, geology, chemistry and as such employ theoretical and experimental methods. In the last few decades most of the CS have been identified with the global warming problem and numerical models have been used as the main tool for their investigations. The produced predictions can only be partially tested against experimental data and may represent one of the reasons CS are drifting away from the route of the scientific method. On the other hand the study of climate faces many other interesting and mostly unsolved problems (think about ice ages) whose solution could clarify how the climatic system works. As for the global warming, while its existence is largely proved, scientifically it can be solved only with a large experimental effort carried out for a few decades. Problems can arise when not proved hypotheses are adopted as the basis for public policy without the recognition that they may be on shaky ground. The strong interactions of the Global Warming (GW) with the society create another huge problem of political nature for the CS. The book argues that the knowledge gained so far on the specific GW problem is enough for the relevant political decisions to be taken and that Climate Science should resume the study of the climate system with appropriate means and methods. The book introduces the most relevant concepts needed for the discussion in the text or in appropriate appendices and it is directed to the general public with upper undergraduate background. Each chapter closes with a debate between a climate scientist and a humanist to reflect the discussions between climate science and philosophy or climate scientists and society.

This book presents the state-of-the-art of optical remote sensing applied for the generation of marine climate-quality data products, with contributions by international experts in the field. The chapters are logically grouped into six thematic parts, each introduced by a brief overview. The different parts include: i. requirements for the generation of climate data records from satellite ocean measurements and additionally basic radiometry principles addressing terminology, standards, measurement equation and uncertainties; ii. satellite visible and thermal infrared radiometry embracing instrument design, characterization and, pre- and post-launch calibration; iii. in situ visible and thermal infrared radiometry including overviews on basic principles, technology and measurements methods required to support satellite missions devoted to climate change investigations; iv. simulations as fundamental tools to support interpretation and analysis of both in situ and satellite radiometric measurements; v. strategies for in situ radiometry to satisfy mission requirements for the generation of climate data records; and finally, vi. methods for the assessment of satellite data products. Fundamentals of measurement theory are taken through to implementation of practical ground based radiometers and their application to validate satellite data used to generate climate data records. This book presents practical solutions for those involved or contemplating the validation of optical climate measurements from satellite instruments.

This volume contains reviews on different aspects of human, animal and plant bioclimatology; the mechanisms linking human melanoma with radiation from both the sun and artificial sources; field and experimental studies on the health of farm animals in adverse climatic environments and the impact of climatic extremes on airborne disease organisms and their hosts' defense mechanisms; measurement techniques used in plant bioclimatology, including thermoelectric methods of measuring sap flow and transpiration in plants, remote sensing techniques: the use of lasers in both spectrofluorometry, and the study of the geometrical structure of plant canopies and the use of radar mounted in aircraft and satellites to monitor forest size and state.

In this spirit, the ATMSS International Workshop "Advances in Laboratory Testing & Modelling of Soils and Shales" (Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland; 18-20 January 2017) has been organized to promote the exchange of ideas, experience and state of the art among major experts active in the field of experimental testing and modelling of soils and shales. The Workshop has been organized under the auspices of the Technical Committees TC-101 "Laboratory Testing", TC-106 "Unsaturated Soils" and TC-308 "Energy Geotechnics" of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. This volume contains the invited keynote and feature lectures, as well as the papers that have been presented at the Workshop. The topics of the lectures and papers cover a wide range of theoretical and experimental research, including unsaturated behaviour of soils and shales, multiphysical testing of geomaterials, hydro-mechanical behaviour of shales and stiff clays, the geomechanical behaviour of the Opalinus Clay shale, advanced laboratory testing for site characterization and in-situ applications, and soil - structure interactions.

This book presents a selection of the best papers from the HEaRT 2013 conference, held in Cosenza, Italy, which provided a valuable forum for engineers and architects, researchers and educators to exchange views and findings concerning the technological history, construction features and seismic behavior of historical timber-framed walls in the Mediterranean countries. The topics covered are wide ranging and include historical aspects and examples of the use of timber-framed construction systems in response to earthquakes, such as the gaiola system in Portugal and the Bourbon system in southern Italy; interpretation of the response of timber-framed walls to seismic actions based on calculations and experimental tests; assessment of the effectiveness of repair and strengthening techniques, e.g., using aramid fiber wires or sheets; and modelling analyses. In addition, on the basis of case studies, a methodology is presented that is applicable to diagnosis, strengthening and improvement of seismic performance and is compatible with modern theoretical principles and conservation criteria. It is hoped that, by contributing to the knowledge of this construction technique, the book will help to promote conservation of this important component of Europe's architectural heritage.

Earthquake and tsunami disasters have been increasing rapidly and globally in the last quarter-century. The purpose of this book is to provide essential knowledge and information on the mitigation of earthquakes and tsunamis for graduate students, young researchers, and geotechnical engineers. It begins by presenting recent cases of earthquakes that have occurred in the world, referring to tsunamis and soil liquefaction and how to cope with such disasters. The final chapter proposes strategies for disaster mitigation against in Japan earthquakes and tsunamis in the future.

Originally published in the early 1900s, this book is - 'primarily for the general reader who likes to know more about that much talked about, but little understood, topic - the weather'. Rather than being a dry text book, covering the entire field of meteorology, this includes general interest that the reader can use as a reference for the varying weather experienced every day. Contents Include: GENERAL NOTES AND SPRING WEATHER: Observe the Weather - Early Spring - Moisture in the Air - Clouds - Wind and Weather - rain - May Weather - Some Weather Proverbs - Summer Weather - Mountain Weather - Thunderstorms - Thunderstorms and the Vacationist - West Indian and Other Hurricanes - Autumn Foreshadows Winter - Autumn Winds and Storms - Weather Periods and Major Air Streams - Autumn Weather Proverbs - Our Atmosphere - WINTER: Winter Storms - Snow - Winter Resorts and Sports - Winter Sunshine - Winter Cold - Winter in the Home

The Encyclopedia of Air adopts a unique approach to its topic, exploring air, wind, and atmosphere in all their natural and human aspects. Its 162 entries are alphabetically arranged and cover meteorological topics such as tornados, political issues such as air pollution, important scientists and aviators, technical topics such as airplanes and dirigibles, and cultural phenomena including musical, literary, and linguistic references to air and wind. Other entries cover important organizations such as the Clean Air Trust, legal issues such as the Clean Air Act, and aerial sports and recreation such as kite-flying. Containing over 50 photos and tables, this book also includes a "Guide to Selected Topics" that traces broad themes, a general bibliography, and a detailed subject index. Most of the entries provide "See also" references to related entries in the book, a listing of addition information resources--both print and electronic--and contact information for relevant groups and organizations.

This book provides historical perspectives on the climate apprehensions of scientists and the general public from the Englightenment to the late twentieth century. Issues discussed include what people have understood, experienced, and feared about the climate and its changes in the past; how privileged and authoritative positions on climate have been established; the paths by which we have arrived at our current state of knowledge and apprehension; and what a study of the past has to offer to the interdisciplinary investigation of environmental problems.

This thesis transforms satellite precipitation estimation through the integration of a multi-sensor, multi-channel approach to current precipitation estimation algorithms, and provides more accurate readings of precipitation data from space. Using satellite data to estimate precipitation from space overcomes the limitation of ground-based observations in terms of availability over remote areas and oceans as well as spatial coverage. However, the accuracy of satellite-based estimates still need to be improved. The approach introduced in this thesis takes advantage of the recent NASA satellites in observing clouds and precipitation. In addition, machine-learning techniques are also employed to make the best use of remotely-sensed "big data." The results provide a significant improvement in detecting non-precipitating areas and reducing false identification of precipitation.

Light Scattering Reviews (vol. 9) is aimed at the description of modern advances in radiative transfer and light scattering. The following topics will be considered: light scattering by atmospheric dust particles and also by inhomogeneous scatterers, the general - purpose discrete - ordinate algorithm DISORT for radiative transfer, the radiative transfer code RAY based on the adding-doubling solution of the radiative transfer equation, aerosol and cloud remote sensing, use of polarization in remote sensing, direct aerosol radiative forcing, principles of the Mueller matrix measurements, light reflectance from various land surfaces. This volume will be a valuable addition to already published volumes 1-8 of Light Scattering Reviews.

This thesis presents research focusing on the improvement of high-resolution global black carbon (BC) emission inventory and application in assessing the population exposure to ambient BC. A particular focus of the thesis is on the construction of a high-resolution (both spatial and sectorial) fuel consumption database, which is used to develop the emission inventory of black carbon. Above all, the author updates the global emission inventory of black carbon, a resource subsequently used to study the atmospheric transport of black carbon over Asia with the help of a high-resolution nested model. The thesis demonstrates that spatial bias in fuel consumption and BC emissions can be reduced by means of the sub-national disaggregation approach. Using the inventory and nested model, ambient BC concentrations can be better validated against observations. Lastly, it provides a complete uncertainty analysis of global black carbon emissions, and this uncertainty is taken into account in the atmospheric modeling, helping to better understand the role of black carbon in regional and global air pollution.

This volume offers a comprehensive survey and a close analysis of efforts to develop actionable climate information in support of vital decisions for climate adaptation, risk management and policy. Arising from submissions and discussion at the 2011 Open Science Conference (OSC) of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), the book addresses research and intellectual challenges which span the full range of Program activities.

In this edited volume on advances in forensic geotechnical engineering, a number of technical contributions by experts and professionals in this area are included. The work is the outcome of deliberations at various conferences in the area conducted by Prof. G.L. Sivakumar Babu and Dr. V.V.S. Rao as secretary and Chairman of Technical Committee on Forensic Geotechnical Engineering of International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSMGE). This volume contains papers on topics such as guidelines, evidence/data collection, distress characterization, use of diagnostic tests (laboratory and field tests), back analysis, failure hypothesis formulation, role of instrumentation and sensor-based technologies, risk analysis, technical shortcomings. This volume will prove useful to researchers and practitioners alike.

This book contains the most recent progress in data assimilation in meteorology, oceanography and hydrology including land surface. It spans both theoretical and applicative aspects with various methodologies such as variational, Kalman filter, ensemble, Monte Carlo and artificial intelligence methods. Besides data assimilation, other important topics are also covered including targeting observation, sensitivity analysis, and parameter estimation. The book will be useful to individual researchers as well as graduate students for a reference in the field of data assimilation.