Download or read book North American Droughts from Medieval Times to the Modern Day Characterization Causes and Global Context written by Celine Herweijer and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The colossal urban, agricultural and industrial infrastructure that typifies today's American West relies on water for its heartbeat, yet in its strive to consume, grow and prosper, far too often takes the availability of this precious resource for granted. Severe and widespread multi-year drought events, and their extensive societal, physical and economic impacts serve as sharp reminders of the natural limits of the land. Past lessons learned, along with the anticipation of future vulnerability in the face of Greenhouse warming, highlight the necessity for an improved understanding of the causes and characteristics of North American drought: a primary goal of this thesis. Using instrumental, historical and proxy data hand-in-hand with modeling experiments, we seek to define, characterize and elucidate causal mechanisms for the major North American droughts of the last Millennium. The recent development of the North American Drought Atlas, which represents annually resolved gridded tree-ring Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstructions for much of the North American continent, has enabled us to examine the extent of North American drought variability over the last 1000 years in much more detail. We begin by identifying 3 episodes of prolonged and widespread drought during the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century, a time poorly represented by the instrumental record. SST-forced climate model experiments are shown to capture the three multi-year droughts, providing the first climate model simulation of Nineteenth Century drought in North America, and indicating the primary role of SST forcing from within the tropical Pacific.
Download or read book The Context of Megadrought Multiproxy Paleoenvironmental Perspectives from the South San Juan Mountains Colorado written by Cody Craig Routson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The context of megadrought, drought more severe than any we have experienced over the past 100 years, is assessed in this dissertation. A set of new climate reconstructions including drought, dustiness, and temperature from the south San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado is presented here and provides unforeseen insights into these unusual events. The global context of megadroughts is also analyzed using a network of reconstructions. The new drought record is from bristlecone tree-rings, spans the last 2000 years, and shows two periods with anomalous aridity and drought in the south San Juan Mountains. The later period corresponds with well-characterized medieval climate anomaly (MCA; 900-1400 AD) aridity in southwestern North America (henceforth the Southwest). The earlier interval coincides with the Roman Period (1-400 AD). A severe drought with, almost 50 consecutive years of below average tree-growth, occurs in the middle of the Roman Period during the 2nd century AD. Assessment of Roman and MCA droughts in the context of global climate reconstructions reveals that similar hemisphere scale circulation patterns during both intervals might have contributed to severe aridity in the Southwest. Next relationships between droughts and pluvials in western North America (henceforth the West) and global sea surface temperature (SST) patterns over the last 1100 years are examined. Several methods are used including teleconnection patterns imbedded in tree-ring reconstructed drought maps, and a global network of SST reconstructions. Teleconnection patterns during droughts and pluvials suggest that megadroughts and pluvials were likely forced in part by sequences of anomalous years in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, but the analyses also reveals contradictory results that may require new ways of understanding the relationship between SSTs and drought on long timescales. Next, returning to the south San Juan Mountains, we developed a new dust reconstruction from a lake sediment core. The reconstruction illustrates that dustiness has been an important component of Southwestern climate over the past 2941 years. The record shows high dust deposition in the past especially around 900 BC and during the MCA. High dust deposition before recent land use changes suggests that megadroughts or associated periods of aridity were widespread and severe enough to mobilize dust, perhaps resulting in further reductions to mountain snowpack and stream flow. Finally, a new biomarker based temperature reconstruction is presented. The reconstruction spans the last 2000 years and shows that the warmest temperatures during that interval occurred during the Roman Period and the MCA. The record suggests these periods were warmer than today, indicating the San Juan Mountains are a sensitive region to temperature change. Both past warm periods coincide with anomalous drought and dustiness, suggesting that temperature and dust may have acted as megadrought enhancing feedbacks. In summary, this dissertation helps characterize the timing and causes of southwest North American Megadroughts over the past 2000 years; separately addressing changes in moisture balance, dustiness, temperature, hemispheric circulation, and sea surface temperature forcing patterns during these unusual events.
Download or read book Dissertation Abstracts International written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book North American Droughts written by Norman J. Rosenberg and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-03-08 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognizing drought as a characteristic feature of the North American climate, the contributors to this volume seek to organize available evidence of both prehistoric and modern drought events and to provide information on the severity of droughts, especially those which have occurred since weather records have been kept. The impacts of modern-era droughts on production and the potential impact of future droughts on the productivity of North American agriculture are examined. The authors explore the effeats of past droughts on the social, cultural, and political life of the population; the possible effects of drought on today's energy- and techno logy-intensive society; and the ramifications of drought for the national economy. The social and political strategies that local, state, and federal governments may use to meliorate the effects of drought are also considered, as are some possible technological defenses against drought—weather modification, expanded irrigation, new techniques of water harvesting and storage, and new agronomic adaptations. Finally, the critical question of whether future droughts can be forecast is examined.
Download or read book The West without Water written by B. Lynn Ingram and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The West without Water documents the tumultuous climate of the American West over twenty millennia, with tales of past droughts and deluges and predictions about the impacts of future climate change on water resources. Looking at the region’s current water crisis from the perspective of its climate history, the authors ask the central question of what is "normal" climate for the West, and whether the relatively benign climate of the past century will continue into the future. The West without Water merges climate and paleoclimate research from a wide variety of sources as it introduces readers to key discoveries in cracking the secrets of the region’s climatic past. It demonstrates that extended droughts and catastrophic floods have plagued the West with regularity over the past two millennia and recounts the most disastrous flood in the history of California and the West, which occurred in 1861–62. The authors show that, while the West may have temporarily buffered itself from such harsh climatic swings by creating artificial environments and human landscapes, our modern civilization may be ill-prepared for the future climate changes that are predicted to beset the region. They warn that it is time to face the realities of the past and prepare for a future in which fresh water may be less reliable.
Download or read book Climatic Changes Since 1700 written by Stefan Brönnimann and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proposed book is not only a tribute to the work of Brückner (and indeed also a personal tribute, since Brückner wrote his book at the Institute of Geography of the University of Bern), but references to Brückner’s book are also a conceptual tool in the proposed book, though used sparingly and thoughtfully. Apart from providing historical context, references may facilitate introducing some complex topics, for instance by first presenting Brückner’s view and then complementing the picture with today’s understanding. References can be used for contrast: Comparing Brückner’s methods and data with today’s research concepts makes the progress in the field easily understandable. The enormous growth of information since Brükner’s time allows a much more detailed perspective on some scientific problems. Or references can be used to highlight similarity. Some aspects have not changed over time. Finally, the book complements Brückner’s studies by adding the arguably most interesting and certainly most relevant period, the past 120 years.
Download or read book Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States written by U.S. Global Change Research Program and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-08-24 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summarizes the science of climate change and impacts on the United States, for the public and policymakers.
Download or read book Climate Change and the Course of Global History written by John L. Brooke and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-03-17 with total page 655 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first global study by a historian to fully integrate the earth-system approach of the new climate science with the material history of humanity.
Download or read book Paleoclimate Global Change and the Future written by Keith D. Alverson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a synthesis of the past decade of research into global changes that occurred in the earth system in the past. Focus is achieved by concentrating on those changes in the Earth's past environment that best inform our evaluation of current and future global changes and their consequences for human populations. The book stands as a ten year milestone in the operation of the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). It seeks to provide a quantitative understanding of the Earth’s environment in the geologically recent past and to define the envelope of natural environmental variability against which anthropogenic impacts on the Earth System may be assessed. A set of color overhead transparencies based on the figures in the book is available free on the PAGES website (www.pages-igbp.org) for use in teaching and lecturing.
Download or read book Abrupt Climate Change written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-04-23 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The climate record for the past 100,000 years clearly indicates that the climate system has undergone periodic-and often extreme-shifts, sometimes in as little as a decade or less. The causes of abrupt climate changes have not been clearly established, but the triggering of events is likely to be the result of multiple natural processes. Abrupt climate changes of the magnitude seen in the past would have far-reaching implications for human society and ecosystems, including major impacts on energy consumption and water supply demands. Could such a change happen again? Are human activities exacerbating the likelihood of abrupt climate change? What are the potential societal consequences of such a change? Abrupt Climate Change: Inevitable Surprises looks at the current scientific evidence and theoretical understanding to describe what is currently known about abrupt climate change, including patterns and magnitudes, mechanisms, and probability of occurrence. It identifies critical knowledge gaps concerning the potential for future abrupt changes, including those aspects of change most important to society and economies, and outlines a research strategy to close those gaps. Based on the best and most current research available, this book surveys the history of climate change and makes a series of specific recommendations for the future.
Download or read book Meetings Abstracts January August 2006 written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 1436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Decade to Century Scale Climate Variability and Change written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1998-12-24 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Society today may be more vulnerable to global-scale, long-term, climate change than ever before. Even without any human influence, past records show that climate can be expected to continue to undergo considerable change over decades to centuries. Measures for adaption and mitigation will call for policy decisions based on a sound scientific foundation. Better understanding and prediction of climate variations can be achieved most efficiently through a nationally recognized "dec-cen" science plan. This book articulates the scientific issues that must be addressed to advance us efficiently toward that understanding and outlines the data collection and modeling needed.
Download or read book Global Environmental Change written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-09-14 with total page 621 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can we understand and rise to the environmental challenges of global change? One clear answer is to understand the science of global change, not solely in terms of the processes that control changes in climate and the composition of the atmosphere, but in how ecosystems and human society interact with these changes. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, a number of such research effortsâ€"supported by computer and satellite technologyâ€"have been launched. Yet many opportunities for integration remain unexploited, and many fundamental questions remain about the earth's capacity to support a growing human population. This volume encourages a renewed commitment to understanding global change and sets a direction for research in the decade ahead. Through case studies the book explores what can be learned from the lessons of the past 20 years and what are the outstanding scientific questions. Highlights include: Research imperatives and strategies for investigators in the areas of atmospheric chemistry, climate, ecosystem studies, and human dimensions of global change. The context of climate change, including lessons to be gleaned from paleoclimatology. Human responses toâ€"and forcing ofâ€"projected global change. This book offers a comprehensive overview of global change research to date and provides a framework for answering urgent questions.
Download or read book The Little Ice Age written by Brian Fagan and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2019-11-26 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Only in the last decade have climatologists developed an accurate picture of yearly climate conditions in historical times. This development confirmed a long-standing suspicion: that the world endured a 500-year cold snap -- The Little Ice Age -- that lasted roughly from A.D. 1300 until 1850. The Little Ice Age tells the story of the turbulent, unpredictable and often very cold years of modern European history, how climate altered historical events, and what they mean in the context of today's global warming. With its basis in cutting-edge science, The Little Ice Age offers a new perspective on familiar events. Renowned archaeologist Brian Fagan shows how the increasing cold affected Norse exploration; how changing sea temperatures caused English and Basque fishermen to follow vast shoals of cod all the way to the New World; how a generations-long subsistence crisis in France contributed to social disintegration and ultimately revolution; and how English efforts to improve farm productivity in the face of a deteriorating climate helped pave the way for the Industrial Revolution and hence for global warming. This is a fascinating, original book for anyone interested in history, climate, or the new subject of how they interact.
Download or read book Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States written by James M. Vose and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This assessment provides input to the reauthorized National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Climate Assessment (NCA), and it establishes the scientific foundation needed to manage for drought resilience and adaptation. Focal areas include drought characterization; drought impacts on forest processes and disturbances such as insect outbreaks and wildfire; and consequences for forest and rangeland values. Drought can be a severe natural disaster with substantial social and economic consequences. Drought becomes most obvious when large-scale changes are observed; however, even moderate drought can have long-lasting impacts on the structure and function of forests and rangelands without these obvious large-scale changes. Large, stand-level impacts of drought are already underway in the West, but all U.S. forests are vulnerable to drought. Drought-associated forest disturbances are expected to increase with climatic change. Management actions can either mitigate or exacerbate the effects of drought. A first principal for increasing resilience and adaptation is to avoid management actions that exacerbate the effects of current or future drought. Options to mitigate drought include altering structural or functional components of vegetation, minimizing drought-mediated disturbance such as wildfire or insect outbreaks, and managing for reliable flow of water.
Download or read book Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation written by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-05-28 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters. This Special Report explores the social as well as physical dimensions of weather- and climate-related disasters, considering opportunities for managing risks at local to international scales. SREX was approved and accepted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 18 November 2011 in Kampala, Uganda.
Download or read book El Ni o Southern Oscillation in a Changing Climate written by Michael J. McPhaden and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-11-24 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive and up-to-date information on Earth’s most dominant year-to-year climate variation The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the Pacific Ocean has major worldwide social and economic consequences through its global scale effects on atmospheric and oceanic circulation, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and other natural systems. Ongoing climate change is projected to significantly alter ENSO's dynamics and impacts. El Niño Southern Oscillation in a Changing Climate presents the latest theories, models, and observations, and explores the challenges of forecasting ENSO as the climate continues to change. Volume highlights include: Historical background on ENSO and its societal consequences Review of key El Niño (ENSO warm phase) and La Niña (ENSO cold phase) characteristics Mathematical description of the underlying physical processes that generate ENSO variations Conceptual framework for understanding ENSO changes on decadal and longer time scales, including the response to greenhouse gas forcing ENSO impacts on extreme ocean, weather, and climate events, including tropical cyclones, and how ENSO affects fisheries and the global carbon cycle Advances in modeling, paleo-reconstructions, and operational climate forecasting Future projections of ENSO and its impacts Factors influencing ENSO events, such as inter-basin climate interactions and volcanic eruptions The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Find out more about this book from this Q&A with the editors.
