The humid tropics contain some of the world's richest, most diverse, most important and most threatened environments. This book draws on recent work by geographers, biologists, ecologists, geologists and climatologists to present a complete and integrated appraisal of the natural environment of all the humid tropical regions of the world.The book opens with a discussion of the problems of defining the humid tropics and of the need to link research on environmental processes in order to achieve an holistic understanding of environmental change. The authors then move to an examination of atmospheric circulation systems and associated climatic characteristics. Considerations of climate further inform detailed analyses of soil types and distribution, vegetation, landscape, and hydrological processes. The authors stress the interdependence of form and process and look closely and in detail at past and present human impacts. The issues surrounding the intensive exploitation of large zones of the humid tropics are discussed in detail, at local, regional and global scales.Numerous case studies of contrasting environments support the argument throughout the book. The text is illustrated extensively with diagrams, maps and photographs. It is fully referenced and contains an annotated list of further reading by subject.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book presents the result of an innovative challenge, to create a systematic literature overview driven by machine-generated content. Questions and related keywords were prepared for the machine to query, discover, collate and structure by Artificial Intelligence (AI) clustering. The AI-based approach seemed especially suitable to provide an innovative perspective as the topics are indeed both complex, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, for example, climate, planetary and evolution sciences. Springer Nature has published much on these topics in its journals over the years, so the challenge was for the machine to identify the most relevant content and present it in a structured way that the reader would find useful. The automatically generated literature summaries in this book are intended as a springboard to further discoverability. They are particularly useful to readers with limited time, looking to learn more about the subject quickly and especially if they are new to the topics. Springer Nature seeks to support anyone who needs a fast and effective start in their content discovery journey, from the undergraduate student exploring interdisciplinary content, to Master- or PhD-thesis developing research questions, to the practitioner seeking support materials, this book can serve as an inspiration, to name a few examples. It is important to us as a publisher to make the advances in technology easily accessible to our authors and find new ways of AI-based author services that allow human-machine interaction to generate readable, usable, collated, research content.

This book provides a new interpretation of international law specifically dedicated to Indigenous peoples in the context of a climate justice approach. The book presents a critical analysis of past and current developments at the intersection of human rights and international environmental law and governance. The book suggests new ways forward and demonstrates the need for a paradigmatic shift that would enhance the meaningful participation of Indigenous peoples as fundamental actors in the conservation of biodiversity and in the fight against climate change. The book offers guidance on a number of critical intersecting and interdependent issues at the forefront of climate change law and policy - inside and outside of the UN climate change regime. The author suggests that the adoption of a critical perspective on international law is needed in order to highlight inherent structural and systemic issues of the international law regime which are all issues that ultimately impede the pursue of climate justice for Indigenous peoples.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Meteorological data are essential for both day-to-day energy management and for planning for the world's future energy security. The editor of this compendium, a mechanical engineer with international experience, has collected articles that will encourage more productive dialogue between the energy and meteorology communities. Included are chapters on how to generate a typical meteorological year, followed by articles that discuss the impact of meteorology on wind energy production, solar energy production, and hydropower operations. The book concludes with chapters on seasonal energy management.

Nils-Axel Marner &Wibjarn Karlen Organizers of the Stockholm Symposium in 1983 Stockholm University, Sweden This book is the Proceedings of the SECOND NORDIC SYMPOSIUM ON CLIMATIC CHANGES AND RELATED PROBLEMS held in Stockholm, Sweden, May 16-20, 1983 (Frydendahl et al., 1983; Marner, 1983). This was "an international interdisciplinary symposium with special refe rence to Nordic records and their relation to global climatic changes." The first NORDIC SYMPOSIUM ON CLIMATIC CHANGES AND RELATED PROBLEMS was held in Copenhagen in 1978 ( Frydendahl, 1978) and had a very broad scientific program. The SECOND NORDIC SYMPOSIUM was specifically directed to certain problems, time ranges and sources of information, as discussed below. Scandinavia is a classical area for the study of climatic fluctuations during the last 20,000 years . A major part of the basic data for the international theories and synthesis originate from Scandinavian data. This applies, for example, to: (1) The drastic climatic fluctuations in connection with the re cession of the land-ice giving rise to the alternation of inter stadials (warm periods with rapid ice recession) and stadials (cold periods with readvances or retardations in the ice recession). (2) The climatic changes during the Holocene with its well-known sub-division according to the Blytt-Sernander system (nowadays being used far outside the boreal region for which it was origi nally defined). (3) The Holocene climatic optimum and the subsequent climatic de terioration at around 2500 BP (well-established already at the beginning of this century)."

As the need for accurate and non-invasive optical characterization and diagnostic techniques is rapidly increasing, it is imperative to find improved ways of extracting the additional information contained within the measured parameters of the scattered light. This is the first specialized monograph on photopolarimetry, a rapidly developing, multidisciplinary topic with numerous military, ecological remote-sensing, astrophysical, biomedical, and technological applications. The main objective is to describe and discuss techniques developed in various disciplines to acquire useful information from the polarization signal of scattered electromagnetic waves. It focuses on the state-of-the-art in polarimetric detection, characterization, and remote sensing, including military and environmental monitoring as well as terrestrial, atmospheric, and biomedical characterization. The book identifies polarimetric techniques that have been especially successful for various applications as well as the future needs of the various research communities. The monograph is intended to facilitate cross-pollination of ideas and thereby improve research efficiency and help advance the field of polarimetry into the future. The book is thoroughly interdisciplinary and contains only invited review chapters written by leading experts in the respective fields. It will be useful to science professionals, engineers, and graduate students working in a broad range of disciplines: optics, electromagnetics, atmospheric radiation and remote sensing, radar meteorology, oceanography, climate research, astrophysics, optical engineering and technology, particle characterization, and biomedical optics.

For advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in atmospheric, oceanic, and climate science, Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics is an introductory textbook on the circulations of the atmosphere and ocean and their interaction, with an emphasis on global scales. It will give students a good grasp of what the atmosphere and oceans look like on the large-scale and why they look that way. The role of the oceans in climate and paleoclimate is also discussed. The combination of observations, theory and accompanying illustrative laboratory experiments sets this text apart by making it accessible to students with no prior training in meteorology or oceanography.

Global Warming: The Hard Science presents a comprehensive, qualitatively rigorous, and critical discussion of the science underlying the global warming issue. The major processes in the climate system needed to understand projected human-induced climatic change are presented in detail. Observational systems used to monitor changes in the climate system and the ways in which the raw data are analyzed in order to produce estimates of current trends are also critically reviewed. The author discusses the hierarchy of computer models used to project changes in the carbon cycle, in climate, and in sea level and examines the physical principles underlying the greenhouse effect and projected warming. The text also presents a detailed discussion of the carbon cycle, of climate sensitivity, and of projected patterns of climatic change through time. Sea level rise and issues of risk and potential surprises are also critically assessed. Emphasis is placed throughout on developing an intuitive understanding of those results that do not depend on the details of any one computer simulation model. A series of boxes illustrate the key points through step-by-step calculations.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas that can cause global warming. The present concentrations of methane are nearly three times higher than several hundred years ago. Today, more than 60% of the atmospheric methane comes from human activities, including rice agriculture, coal mining, natural gas usage, biomass burning, and raising of cattle. Methane affects the stratospheric ozone layer and the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere, which in turn control the concentrations of many man-made and natural gases in the atmosphere. This book brings together our knowledge of the trends and the causes behind the increased levels of methane. Based on the scientific information on the sources and sinks, and the role of methane in global warming, strategies to limit emissions can be designed as part of a program to control future global warming.

Examining a series of El Nino-induced droughts and the famines that they spawned around the globe in the last third of the 19th century, Mike Davis discloses the intimate, baleful relationship between imperial arrogance and natural incident that combined to produce some of the worst tragedies in human history. Late Victorian Holocausts focuses on three zones of drought and subsequent famine: India, Northern China; and Northeastern Brazil. All were affected by the same global climatic factors that caused massive crop failures, and all experienced brutal famines that decimated local populations. But the effects of drought were magnified in each case because of singularly destructive policies promulgated by different ruling elites. Davis argues that the seeds of underdevelopment in what later became known as the Third World were sown in this era of High Imperialism, as the price for capitalist modernization was paid in the currency of millions of peasants' lives.

This handbook offers the first comprehensive, state-of-the-field guide to past weather and climate and their role in human societies. Bringing together dozens of international specialists from the sciences and humanities, this volume describes the methods, sources, and major findings of historical climate reconstruction and impact research. Its chapters take the reader through each key source of past climate and weather information and each technique of analysis; through each historical period and region of the world; through the major topics of climate and history and core case studies; and finally through the history of climate ideas and science. Using clear, non-technical language, The Palgrave Handbook of Climate History serves as a textbook for students, a reference guide for specialists and an introduction to climate history for scholars and interested readers.

This book presents the innovative ideas and technical expertise for the sustainable solution in the field of water resources. It covers various topics on sustainable water resources management under climate change where researchers and professionals have shared their experience, innovative ideas, issues, recent trends and future directions in field of water resources engineering, science and technology. This book culminates the importance of achieving the ways towards water security and espouse targets and measures that will allow the end-user to meet this challenge in conjunction. It is a compendium of research articles pertaining to the mitigation of water crisis, surface and groundwater management, watershed management and modelling, case studies related to wetland vulnerability, water pollution, water quality, extreme climate hazards and others issues and its sustainable diminution through ingenious ideas and technologies that will incur valuable information to the stakeholders in the society. Given its scope, this book will be useful for the researchers and professionals.

Climate Responsive Design provides a unique source for students and practising architects requiring guidance on climatic design. Covering theory and application it provides examples of innovative and best practice in 'responsive architecture' through case studies. The book also covers the broader topic of technology as a generator in design which will be of interest to all those involved in design and building. The book focuses on tropical climate but some of the theory can be applied to other climates; the difference in application is clearly delineated.

Our current climate is strongly influenced by atmospheric composition, and changes in this composition are leading to climate change. Physics of Radiation and Climate takes a look at how the outward flow of longwave or terrestrial radiation is affected by the complexities of the atmosphere's molecular spectroscopy. This book examines the planet in its current state and considers the radiation fluxes, including multiple scattering, photochemistry, and the ozone layer, and their impact on our climate overall. Starting from the physical fundamentals of how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the various components of the Earth's atmosphere, the book covers the essential radiation physics leading to the radiative transfer equation. The book then develops the central physics of the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and gases and particles: absorption, emission, and scattering. It examines the physics that describes the absorption and emission of radiation, using quantum mechanics, and scattering, using electromagnetism. It also dedicates a detailed chapter to aerosols, now recognized as a key factor of climate change. Written to be used for a first course in climate physics or a physics elective, the text contains case studies, sample problems, and an extensive reference list as a guide for further research. In addition, the authors: Provide a complete derivation of molecular spectroscopy from quantum mechanical first principles Present a formal derivation of the scattering of radiation by molecules and particles Include the latest results from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5) Physics of Radiation and Climate shows how radiation measurements are used to aid our understanding of weather and climate change and provides an introduction to the atmosphere. This book covers the key branches of physics with a specific focus on thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics.

This book reviews taxing choices to protect the local and global environment and preserve and sustain natural resources. Alternative economic instruments such as carbon taxes and tradable permits to combat global climate change are also examined. Strategies and practices for the managing and sharing of revenues from natural resources are highlighted. Also, roles of various orders of government in managing, taxing, and sharing natural resources in selected countries are documented to highlight the impact of such division of responsibilities in preserving natural resources and the environment. The susceptibility of resource revenue dependent economies to corruption and malfeasance, and the Dutch disease, is also highlighted. This book could serve as a supplementary reference book for graduate and undergraduate courses and as a sourcebook for journalists, researchers, policymakers, and government practitioners.

The Weather Channel helps us stay informed about daily meteorological events, but for a macro view of the hot topics, key individuals, and notable occurrences in the field of meteorology turn to this interesting and informative review of the most recent advances and discoveries. Useful statistics as well as articles about weather hazards, new technologies that help predict the weather, and how the climate is changing make this a handy ready reference and excellent source for recommended print and electronic resources for further study field. Students considering a career in the field will find information about education and training and professional associations.

Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) is the current state-of-art methodology to provide weather prediction at different spatial and time scales to serve user community. The NWP uses a modeling system built up adopting the mathematical equations governing atmospheric motion, incorporating the physical processes through parameterization methods, solved applying numerical methods and carrying out large number-crunching calculations on high speed computers. The NWP products have their application in agriculture, aviation, transport, tourism, sports, industry, health, energy and many other social sectors. Several decision support systems of disaster management and risk assessment are dependent on meteorological information from NWP products. The purpose of this book is to present the basics of NWP in lucid form to those who seek an overview of the science of modern weather prediction. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Bhutan).

In the two decades bracketing the turn of the millennium, large-scale weather disasters have been inevitably constructed as media events. As such, they challenge the meaning of concepts such as identity and citizenship for both locally affected populations and widespread spectator communities. This timely collection pinpoints the features of an often overlooked yet rapidly expanding category of global media and analyzes both its forms and functions. Specifically, contributors argue that the intense promotion and consumption of 'extreme weather' events takes up the slack for the public conversations society is not having about the environment, and the feeling of powerlessness that accompanies the realization that anthropogenic climate change has now reached a point of no return. Incorporating a range of case studies of extreme weather mediation in India, the UK, Germany, Sweden, the US, and Japan, and exploring recent and ongoing disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, the Fukushima nuclear crisis, flooding in Germany, and heat waves in the UK, Extreme Weather and Global Media generates valuable inquiry into the representational and social characteristics of the new culture of extreme weather.

This book provides essential insights into recent developments in fundamental geotechnical engineering research. Special emphasis is given to a new family of constitutive soil description methods, which take into account the recent loading history and the dilatancy effects. Particular attention is also paid to the numerical implementation of multi-phase material under dynamic loads, and to geotechnical installation processes. In turn, the book addresses implementation problems concerning large deformations in soils during piling operations or densification processes, and discusses the limitations of the respective methods. Numerical simulations of dynamic consolidation processes are presented in slope stability analysis under seismic excitation. Lastly, achieving the energy transition from conventional to renewable sources will call for geotechnical expertise. Consequently, the book explores and analyzes a selection of interesting problems involving the stability and serviceability of supporting structures, and provides new solutions approaches for practitioners and scientists in geotechnical engineering. The content reflects the outcomes of the Colloquium on Geotechnical Engineering 2019 (Geotechnik Kolloquium), held in Karlsruhe, Germany in September 2019.

Dimensional analysis is an essential scientific method and a powerful tool for solving problems in physics and engineering. This book starts by introducing the Pi Theorem, which is the theoretical foundation of dimensional analysis. It also provides ample and detailed examples of how dimensional analysis is applied to solving problems in various branches of mechanics. The book covers the extensive findings on explosion mechanics and impact dynamics contributed by the author 's research group over the past forty years at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The book is intended for research scientists and engineers working in the fields of physics and engineering, as well as graduate students and advanced undergraduates of the related fields.

Qing-Ming Tan is a former Professor at the Institute of Mechanics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Qing-Ming Tan is a former Professor at the Institute of Mechanics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Studies of convection in geophysical flows constitute an advanced and rapidly developing area of research that is relevant to problems of the natural environment. Since the late 1980s, significant progress has been achieved in the field as a result of both experimental studies and numerical modelling. This led to the principal revision of the widely held view on buoyancy-driven turbulent flows comprising an organized mean component with superimposed chaotic turbulence. An intermediate type of motion, represented by coherent structures, has been found to play a key role in geophysical boundary layers and in larger scale atmospheric and hydrospheric circulations driven by buoyant forcing. New aspects of the interaction between convective motions and rotation have recently been discovered and investigated at the end of the 20th century. Extensive experimental data have also been collected on the role of convection in cloud dynamics and microphysics. New theoretical concepts and approaches have been outlined regarding scaling and parameterization of physical processes in buoyancy-driven geophysical flows. The book summarizes interdisciplinary studies of buoyancy effects in different media (atmosphere and hydrosphere) over a wide range of scales (small scale phenomena in unstably stratified and convectively mixed layers to deep convection in the atmosphere and ocean), by different research methods (field measurements, laboratory simulations, numerical modelling), and within a variety of application areas (dispersion of pollutants, weather forecasting and hazardous phenomena associated with buoyant forcing).

This book offers an overview of advanced techniques to study atmospheric dynamics by numerical experimentation. It is primarily intended for scientists and graduate students working on interdisciplinary research problems at the intersection of the atmospheric sciences, applied mathematics, statistics and physics. Scientists interested in adopting techniques from the atmospheric sciences to study other complex systems may also find most of the topics covered in the book interesting. The specific techniques covered in the book have either proven or potential value in solving practical problems of atmospheric dynamics.

Highlighting twenty years of U.S. scientific research conducted since the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58, this volume marks a turning point in the history of polar investigations and provides a lucid summary of the contributions of many distinguished scientists. The authors provide an overview of major polar research programs, past and present; explore concepts derived, from highly interrelated aspects of physical and life sciences; and seek to offer a glimpse of future polar science and polar development. The introduction briefly describes major physical, biological, and interdisciplinary research programs, as well as the magnitude, extent, and international character of contemporary polar science. Twenty years of polar biological investigations are then reviewed, and subsequent chapters address principles and advances in meteorology, physical oceanography, glaciology, and the geological evidence that hears on the origin of Antarctica. These physical sciences delineate a matrix for the polar biospheres and provide a background for understanding the major categories of structure and dynamic functioning of the marine ecosystem, polar marine mammals, adaptational physiology, and terrestrial biotic adaptations.

Mountains are water towers of our world, but their role in global water resources may be altered due to changing climate. This book provides an integrated assessment of the spatial and temporal variability of both recent and future climate change impacts in the Yellow River source region (YRSR) with specific focus on extremes. The book is structured across four different topics from detecting contemporary hydro-climatic changes, comparing three different statistical downscaling methods, assessing elevation dependency of expected changes in temperature, and projecting future climate-induced hydrologic changes in the YRSR. The detection of historical hydro-climatic changes in recent decades indicates that climate change may already be happening and may pose a serious threat to water availability in this region. However, an ensemble of climate change projections for the periods 2046-2065 and 2081-2100 based on two GCMs and three emission scenarios demonstrates that the future water availability of this region would increase due to climate change. This discrepancy suggests that contemporary hydro-climatic experience based on past records alone may not always provide a reliable guide to the future. This study makes an important contribution toward an improved understanding of climate change impacts in the YRSR. The knowledge generated has major implications for water resources management in the Yellow River and will be instructive for climate change impacts studies in other mountain areas.