
Mediterranean Climate Variability
- 1st Edition, Volume 4 - May 9, 2006
- Imprint: Elsevier Science
- Editors: P. Lionello, Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, R. Boscolo
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 6 0 7 9 - 6
This multi-authored book provides an updated description of climate variability in the Mediterranean basin, focusing on decadal and centennial time scales and on the results… Read more

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Request a sales quoteThis multi-authored book provides an updated description of climate variability in the Mediterranean basin, focusing on decadal and centennial time scales and on the results available on the impact of future emission scenarios at regional scale. The authors describs both local physical processes responsible for these variability - such as changes in the surface properties and land use- and globalprocesses - such as changes in the large scale atmospheric circulation associated to global warming, NAO, tropical monsoon and ENSO. Regional climate change issues are also addressed. Mediterranean Climate Variability aims to review the research on this region and to provide at the same time both an introduction and a reference for researchers. It covers topics typical of Climatology, Climate history, Meteorology, Oceanography, Environmental Science but the information here provided would also be useful for research in agriculture, social and economic studies. It is addressed to scientists and students interested in the Mediterranean climate and environment. Some topics have interesting connections to nearby regions: Northern Atlantic, West Africa, central and Eastern Europe. Each chapter will contain a summary meant to provide information to policy makers, researchers from other fields, and in general to a wide audience without a technical expertise on climate.
* Provides an updated analysis of the Mediterranean climate features and guidelines for future research
* Considers both oceanographic and atmospheric aspects
* Analyzes the Mediterranean climate in a global perspective
* Considers both oceanographic and atmospheric aspects
* Analyzes the Mediterranean climate in a global perspective
geologists, earth and environmental scientists
1. Mediterranean Climate Variability over the last Centuries: a Review.
1. Introduction.
2. Past Regional Mediterranean Climate Evidence and Extremes.
3. Large Scale Climate Reconstructions and Importance of Proxy Data for the Mediterranean.
4. Mediterranean Winter Temperature and Precipitation Variability over the last 500 Years.
5. Connection Between the Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation and Mediterranean Winter Climate Over the last Centuries.
6. Teleconnection Studies with other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
7. Mediterranean winter temperature and precipitation reconstructions in comparison with the ECHO-G and HadCM3 Models.
8. Conclusions.
9. Outlook.
Acknowledgements.
References.
2. Relations Between Climate Variability in the Mediterranean Region and the Tropics: ENSO, South Asian and African Monsoons, Hurricanes and Saharan Dust.
1. Introduction.
2. ENSO Impact on Mediterranean Climate.
3. South Asian Monsoon Variability and the Mediterranean Climate.
4. African Monsoon Impact on the Climate of the Mediterranean.
5. Tropical Cyclones' Impact on the Mediterranean Climate.
6. Tropical Intrusions into the Mediterranean Basin.
7. Mediterranean dust transport from Sahara.
8. Conclusions and outlook.
Acknowledgments.
References.
3. Relations Between Variability in the Mediterranean Region and Mid-Latitude Variability.
1. Introduction,.
2. Modes of Atmospheric Circulation and their Impact.
3.Temperature Variability.
4. Precipitation Variability.
5. Trends.
6. Other Important Forcing Factors.
7. Future Outlook.
Acknowledgments.
References.
4. Changes in the Oceanography of the Mediterranean sea and their link to Climate Variability.
1. Introduction.
2. The forcing of the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The Mediterranean Overturning Circulation.
4. Climatic Changes in the Mediterranean Sea circulation.
5. The impact of large scale atmospheric variability on the Mediterranean Sea.
6. Sea Level changes in the Mediterranean Sea.
7. Changes in the wind-wave field.
8. Outlook and Future Challenges.
Acknowledgements.
References.
5. The Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea as Connected System.
1. Introduction.
2. Mediterranean outflow vs. Mediterranean internal variability.
3. The Strait of Gibraltar: a gate to the Atlantic.
4. Spreading of Mediterranean Outflow Water in the North Atlantic.
5. Discussion and Future challenges.
References.
6. Cyclones in the Mediterranean Region: Climatology and Effects on the Environment.
1. Introduction.
2. Mediterranean Cyclone: Data, Methods and Dynamics.
3. Climatology of Cyclones in the Mediterranean.
4. Weather Patterns and Mediterranean Environment.
5. Conclusions.
6. Outlook.
Acknowledgements.
References.
7. Regional Atmospheric, Marine Processes and Climate Modelling.
1. Introduction.
2. Teleconnections Petterns from the Mediterranean Region.
3. Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation and its Sensitivity to Atmospheric Forcing.
4. Sensitivity of the Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation to Anthropogenic Global Warming.
5. Current Status of Mediterranean Regional Climate Modelling.
6 Atmosphere-Sea Coupled Modelling.
7. Perspectives and Outlooks.
Acknowledgements.
References.
8. The Mediterranean Climate Change Under Global Warming.
1. Introduction.
2. Global Coupled Climate Models.
3. Regional Climate Scenarios.
4. Impacts on Land Surface and Vegetation.
5. Future Research.
References.
1. Introduction.
2. Past Regional Mediterranean Climate Evidence and Extremes.
3. Large Scale Climate Reconstructions and Importance of Proxy Data for the Mediterranean.
4. Mediterranean Winter Temperature and Precipitation Variability over the last 500 Years.
5. Connection Between the Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation and Mediterranean Winter Climate Over the last Centuries.
6. Teleconnection Studies with other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
7. Mediterranean winter temperature and precipitation reconstructions in comparison with the ECHO-G and HadCM3 Models.
8. Conclusions.
9. Outlook.
Acknowledgements.
References.
2. Relations Between Climate Variability in the Mediterranean Region and the Tropics: ENSO, South Asian and African Monsoons, Hurricanes and Saharan Dust.
1. Introduction.
2. ENSO Impact on Mediterranean Climate.
3. South Asian Monsoon Variability and the Mediterranean Climate.
4. African Monsoon Impact on the Climate of the Mediterranean.
5. Tropical Cyclones' Impact on the Mediterranean Climate.
6. Tropical Intrusions into the Mediterranean Basin.
7. Mediterranean dust transport from Sahara.
8. Conclusions and outlook.
Acknowledgments.
References.
3. Relations Between Variability in the Mediterranean Region and Mid-Latitude Variability.
1. Introduction,.
2. Modes of Atmospheric Circulation and their Impact.
3.Temperature Variability.
4. Precipitation Variability.
5. Trends.
6. Other Important Forcing Factors.
7. Future Outlook.
Acknowledgments.
References.
4. Changes in the Oceanography of the Mediterranean sea and their link to Climate Variability.
1. Introduction.
2. The forcing of the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The Mediterranean Overturning Circulation.
4. Climatic Changes in the Mediterranean Sea circulation.
5. The impact of large scale atmospheric variability on the Mediterranean Sea.
6. Sea Level changes in the Mediterranean Sea.
7. Changes in the wind-wave field.
8. Outlook and Future Challenges.
Acknowledgements.
References.
5. The Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea as Connected System.
1. Introduction.
2. Mediterranean outflow vs. Mediterranean internal variability.
3. The Strait of Gibraltar: a gate to the Atlantic.
4. Spreading of Mediterranean Outflow Water in the North Atlantic.
5. Discussion and Future challenges.
References.
6. Cyclones in the Mediterranean Region: Climatology and Effects on the Environment.
1. Introduction.
2. Mediterranean Cyclone: Data, Methods and Dynamics.
3. Climatology of Cyclones in the Mediterranean.
4. Weather Patterns and Mediterranean Environment.
5. Conclusions.
6. Outlook.
Acknowledgements.
References.
7. Regional Atmospheric, Marine Processes and Climate Modelling.
1. Introduction.
2. Teleconnections Petterns from the Mediterranean Region.
3. Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation and its Sensitivity to Atmospheric Forcing.
4. Sensitivity of the Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation to Anthropogenic Global Warming.
5. Current Status of Mediterranean Regional Climate Modelling.
6 Atmosphere-Sea Coupled Modelling.
7. Perspectives and Outlooks.
Acknowledgements.
References.
8. The Mediterranean Climate Change Under Global Warming.
1. Introduction.
2. Global Coupled Climate Models.
3. Regional Climate Scenarios.
4. Impacts on Land Surface and Vegetation.
5. Future Research.
References.
- Edition: 1
- Volume: 4
- Published: May 9, 2006
- No. of pages (eBook): 438
- Imprint: Elsevier Science
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN: 9780080460796
PL
P. Lionello
Dr P. Lionello is chairman of the international program MedCLIVAR (Mediterranean CLImate VARiability and predictability) and the International Scientific Steering Committee of the HyMeX program. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). He is currently teaching physics of the atmosphere and of the oceans at the University of Lecce for courses in physics and environmental science.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Salento and CMCC, Lecce, ItalyPM
Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli
Affiliations and expertise
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, U.S.A.RB
R. Boscolo
Affiliations and expertise
Instituto de Investigaciones Marines, Vigo, SpainRead Mediterranean Climate Variability on ScienceDirect