Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming

Beschreibung

Whilst there is now overwhelming evidence that greenhouse-gaspollution is becoming the dominant process responsible for globalwarming, it is also clear that the climate system varies quitenaturally on different time-scales. Predicting the course of futureclimate change consequently requires an understanding of thenatural variability of the climate system as well as the effects ofhuman-induced change. This book is concerned with our currentunderstanding of natural climate change, its variability on decadalto centennial time-scales, the extent to which climate models ofdifferent kinds simulate past variability, and the role of pastclimate variability in explaining changes to natural ecosystems andto human society over the later part of the Holocene. The bookhighlights the need to improve not only our understanding of thephysical system through time but also to improve our knowledge ofhow people may have influenced the climate system in the past andhave been influenced by it, both directly and indirectly. This ground-breaking text addresses predictable modification inthe climate system in the context of global warming. Ideal forresearchers and advanced students, it explores current thinking onnatural climate change. * Addresses the natural variability of the climate system in thecontext of global warming * Contributes substantially to the ongoing discussion on globalwarming * Integrates state of the art research and brings togethermodeling and data communities in a balanced way * Considers questions of climate change on differenttime-scales "Natural climate variability and global warming isclearly an important book, well-focused and distinctive, withfundamental things to say about Holocene science and its interfacewith the practical problem of global warming. It is anauthoritative, up-to-date summary and synthesis of currentknowledge in this area and is attractively produced with clear,colour illustrations throughout. It is a 'must' for alluniversity libraries and our private book collections."The Holocene, 2009.

Autor*in

Richard W. Battarbee

Themen in »Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming«

Atmospheric Sciences Earth Sciences Environmental Science Environmental Studies Geowissenschaften Klimatologie u. Meteorologie Umweltforschung Umweltwissenschaften

Stimmen zu »Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming«

"Volumessuch as this provide the historical contexts and broad overviewsneeded to advance climate change biology toward broader conceptualdevelopments and synthetic methodologies for understanding andpredicting climate change effects, as well as developing effectiveadaptation and mitigation strategies.". (The Quarterly Review ofBiology, 1 December 2010) "Thisis an important book for understanding climate changes in a longerperspective." (Geologos,2010) "This bookbrings together some of the most prolific names in their field tocreate a sound and interesting look into this area." (TheEnvironmentalist, November2009) "It highlights the need to improve not only ourunderstanding of the physical system through time but also ourknowledge of human influence on the climate system and viceversa." (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, April 2009) "Although aimed at 'researchers and advancedstudents', this layman found the book perfectlyaccessible." (Geoscientist, August 2009) "The rapid climate change that seems to be occurring world-widemake this volume both timely and instructive, concentrating as itdoes on the Holocene period.... An essential addition for anmeteorological library." (The International Journal ofMeteorology, April 2009) The Holocene, the interval covered by the last 12,000 years,represents a largely nonglacial period in Earth's climaticevolution. This book synthesizes the climate history of thisinterval and investigates the role of natural climate variabilityin explaining current global warming. The volume contains tenchapters written by experts in various aspects of past climatechange. Chapter 1 provides a short introduction and outlines theobjectives/contents of subsequent chapters. The next chapter, thelongest (51 pages), considers the progress, paradigms, and problemsin Holocene climate research. Chapter 3 addresses the fundamentalquestion of the human role in the changing climate of the Holocenewhile acknowledging that climate change itself has stronglyimpacted the history of civilizations. Our ability to predictfuture climate depends on our ability to reconstruct and model whathas already happened; chapter 4 explores this vital issue.Subsequent chapters examine some relevant intervals including theso-called Holocene thermal optimum, and evaluate and model whatnatural processes might have contributed to observed climatehistories. The final chapters assess rapid land-cover change andanalyze future climate change within the perspective of the last12,000 years. Includes chapter references, an eight-page index, anda three-page summary of abbreviations and dating conventions.Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers,faculty, professional audiences. -- J. T. Andrews, University ofColorado at Boulder (Choice, February 2009)
()

Details

Link teilen