El Niño: Historical and Paleoclimatic Aspects of the Southern Oscillation

(The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is a r...)

The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is a recurrent feature of the climate in tropical regions. A primary example of large scale coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions, ENSO has received much attention in past years, as a result of widespread climatic anomalies (severe drought and floods, Indian monsoon failure, etc.) that are often associated with the development of such episodes. To enhance our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the low frequency behavior of ENSO and to help improve our ability to forecast the future behavior of this phenomenon, we have combined analysis of the modern aspects of ENSO morphology, modelling and variability with chapters dealing with its historical and prehistorical behavior. this volume examines different approaches to reconstructing ENSO based on a variety of proxy sources. It also illustrates how, in the past, the climatic manifestations associated with ENSO may have been different, in the frequency of occurrence as well as amplitude. This 1993 book will be of importance to all professional scientists and researchers in climatology, meteorology and the earth and environmental sciences, while graduate students in these disciplines will find the book a useful reference source.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521430429/?tag=2022091-20

1992

The Man Called Deng Majok: A Biography of Power, Polygyny, and Change

(Deng Majok succeeded his father Kwol Arob, as Paramount C...)

Deng Majok succeeded his father Kwol Arob, as Paramount Chief of the Ngok Dinka of Abyei in 1943 and reigned until his death in 1969. He is widely recognized as one of the most prominent tribal leaders who contributed effectively to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in Sudan s volatile North-South border area, where warrior African and Arab tribes come in contact, interact, and often clash in competition over scarce natural resources. Working in close partnership with his Arab counterpart, Babo Nimir, Paramount Chief of the Missiriya Arab tribes, Deng Majok succeeded remarkably in ensuring peaceful coexistence and cooperation between the two communities. Deng Majok was also an innovator who brought to his area the benefits of the market economy, health care, veterinary services, modern education, and a credible administration of justice. But perhaps the most unique aspect of Deng Majok s life was his profile as a family man. He married over two hundred wives from all sections of his tribe and from the neighboring Southern tribes. With an estimated average of four children per wife, and with his widows continuing to bear children to his name after his death through the custom of levitate, Deng Majok has close to a thousand children. Even more striking is the strict code of conduct he imposed on his vast family based on idealized principles of unity, harmony, solidarity and absolute intolerance of jealousy among family members. Deng Majok was however deeply tormented by an agonizing power struggle against his father who favored as his successor a younger half-brother, Deng Makuei (also known as Deng Abot), from another wife whom he considered senior to Deng Majok s mother despite the ambiguities in the order of their marriages. The struggle ended with Deng Majok plotting with his Arab friends and the British administrators to force his father into retirement and install him as the Paramount Chief. Throughout his life, Deng Majok strove painstakingly to prove beyond any doubt that he was the most qualified for the leadership. The biography of Deng Majok is written by his scholar-diplomat-statesman son who has been highly commended for successfully maintaining a precarious balance between devotion to his father and remarkable objectivity. This is the story of a truly outstanding man, whose varied life experiences make for intriguing, painful and engaging reading. As the author convincingly substantiates, The Man Called Deng Majok, is indeed a tale of glory and tragedy.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300033850/?tag=2022091-20

Climate Extremes and Society

(Extreme climatic events present society with significant ...)

Extreme climatic events present society with significant challenges in a rapidly warming world. Ordinary citizens, the insurance industry and governments are concerned about the apparent increase in the frequency of weather and climate events causing extreme, and in some instances, catastrophic, impacts. Climate Extremes and Society focuses on the recent and potential future consequences of weather and climate extremes for different socioeconomic sectors. The book also examines actions that may enable society to better respond to climate variability. It provides examples of the impact of climate and weather extremes on society. How have these extremes varied in the past, and how might they change in the future? What type of efforts will help society adapt to potential future changes in climate and weather extremes? The book is designed for all policy-makers, engineers and scientists who have an interest in the effects of climate extremes on society.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521870283/?tag=2022091-20