Currents of Change: Impacts of El Niño and La Niña on Climate and SocietyHeadlines around the world about severe droughts, hurricanes, and floods caused by El Niño and La Niña appear every few years. El Niño is the second most important climate process after the changing seasons; its effects are widely known, but the equally serious impact of La Niña is only now beginning to be appreciated. Fully revised, Currents of Change clearly explains what El Niño and La Niña are and how they can be forecast. Examining for the first time the major El Niño of 1997-1998, Michael Glantz explains what we can learn from past events, how we can better manage climate-sensitive activities, and how to anticipate what future storms and droughts may occur. A century ago, it was of interest only to Peruvian fishermen and farmers. Today, scientists armed with tremendous computer models and satellites realize that El Niño and La Niña affect climatic conditions in seemingly remote parts of the world and are better able to predict which regions will be affected. Including the latest information about El Niño and La Niña, this new edition of Currents of Change will be useful to scientists, policymakers, economists, and interested readers alike. Michael Glantz is a Senior Scientist with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group, a program of NCAR. He is the coordinator of a 16-country El Niño impacts and response strategies study for the United Nations. Glantz is a member of numerous national and international committees and advisory bodies and is a recipient of the 1987 World Hunger Media Award, of UNEP's Global 500 Award, and the 1991 Mitchell Prize for Sustainable Development. He is the author of Climate Variability, Climate Change, and Fisheries (Cambridge, 1992) and Drought Follows the Plow (Cambridge, 1994). He lives in Boulder, Colorado. |
Contents
El Nino | 15 |
A tale of two histories | 29 |
The life and times of El Nino and La Nina | 49 |
The biography of El Nino | 51 |
The biography of La Nina | 66 |
The 198283 El Nino a case of an anomalous anomaly | 84 |
Forecasting El Nino | 101 |
Forecasting the 199798 El Nino | 123 |
Why care about El Nino and La Nina? | 175 |
El Nino and health | 177 |
The media El Nino and La Nina a study in mediarology | 189 |
Why do ENSO events continue to surprise us? | 202 |
What people need to know about El Nino | 212 |
Usable science | 221 |
A presidents perspective on El Nino | 225 |
Chronology of interest in El Nino | 229 |
Teleconnections | 133 |
El Ninos ecological impacts the Galapagos | 146 |
Methods used to identify El Nino | 163 |
| 237 | |
| 249 | |
Common terms and phrases
affected Africa anchoveta atmosphere Australia Celsius central Pacific changes in sea climate anomalies climate-related coastal upwelling cold event decades dengue dengue fever Drought early eastern equatorial Pacific Ecuador El Niño events El Niño-Southern Oscillation ENSO environmental example Figure fishery fishmeal floods focused Forecasting El Niño Galápagos Galápagos Islands Glantz global warming globe guano guano birds hazards heavy rains hurricanes identify increase infectious diseases intensity interest Islands Kelvin waves locations malaria marine monitoring months Niña Niño conditions Niño events Niño forecasts Niño phenomenon Niño research Niño-related Niño's impacts non-El Niño normal occurred onset Pacific Ocean Peru Peru's Peruvian coast policymakers potential predict processes production rainfall region result Rossby wave scientists sea level pressure sea surface temperatures season sector societal impacts societies Southern Oscillation storms strong El Niño surprise teleconnections thermocline Trenberth tropical Pacific various Walker Circulation warm event wave weather winds winter worldwide
Popular passages
Page xiv - The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science* Foundation.
Page i - Currents of change: Impacts of El Nino and La Nina on climate and society.
Page 242 - Loon, 1988: The Southern Oscillation. Part VII: Meteorological anomalies over the Indian and Pacific sectors associated with the extremes of the oscillation.
References to this book
Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application Satish Kedia,John van Willigen No preview available - 2005 |
Birds of Two Worlds: The Ecology and Evolution of Migration Russell Greenberg,Peter P. Marra Limited preview - 2005 |