Encyclopedia of global warming and climate change

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Global Warming and Climate Change ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Global Warming and Climate Change S George Philander GENERAL EDITOR VOLUMES - Copyright © 2008 by SAGE Publications, Inc All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher For information: SAGE Publications, Inc 2455 Teller Road housand Oaks, California 91320 E-mail: order @ sagepub.com SAGE Publications Ltd Oliver’s Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B 1/ I Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044 India SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd 33 Pekin Street #02-01 Far East Square Singapore 048763 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Encyclopedia of global warming and climate change / S George Philander p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 978-1-4129-5878-3 (cloth) Global warming–Encyclopedias Climatic changes–Encyclopedias I Philander, S George QC981.8.G56E47 2008 363.738’7403 dc22 2008006238 his book is printed on acid-free and recycled paper 08 09 10 11 12 10 GOLSON BOOKS, LTD President and Editor Creative Director Managing Editor Copyeditor Layout Editors Proofreaders Indexer J Geofrey Golson Mary Jo Scibetta Susan Moskowitz Mary Le Rouge Kenneth W Heller Stephanie Larson Oona Hyla Patrick Deborah Green Summer G Ventis Barbara Paris J S Editorial SAGE REFERENCE Vice President and Publisher Project Editor Cover Production Marketing Manager Editorial Assistant Reference Systems Manager Photo credits are on page I-79 Rolf A Janke Tracy Buyan Janet Foulger Amberlyn Erzinger Michele hompson Leticia Gutierrez ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Global Warming and Climate Change CONTENTS About the General Editor vi Preface vii Reader’s Guide ix Introduction xvii List of Articles xxxiii List of Contributors xliii Chronology xlvii Articles A to Z 1–1120 Resource Guide 1121 Glossary 1127 Appendix A-1 Index I-1 Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change About the General Editor S George Philander, Ph.D Knox Taylor Professor of Geosciences, Princeton University Research Director, ACCESS S George Philander, Knox Taylor Professor of Geosciences at Princeton University, and Research Director of ACCESS (African Centre for Climate and Earth System Science) in Cape Town, South Africa, has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cape Town, and a Ph.D (Applied Mathematics) from Harvard University He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Meteorological Society Philander’s research interests include the oceanic circulation, interactions between the ocean and atmosphere that result in phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña, paleoclimates (including the recurrent Ice Ages of the past three million years), and future global climate changes His two books for laypersons, Is the Temperature Rising? he Uncertain Science of Global Warming, and Our Afair With El Niño: How We Transformed an Enchanting Peruvian Current Into a Global Climate Hazard relect his keen interest in improving communications between scientists and laymen he goal of the African climate center, which Philander is currently directing, is to give Africa its own voice on environmental issues such as global warming Preface PLANET EARTH HAS become the concern of every- one he activities of conservation biologists are now of interest to economists and political scientists who wish to ind out whether certain environmental problems are best solved by regulations or market forces Businesspeople, government oicials, and politicians have become involved in science To be useful to such a diversity of people, the nearly 750 entries in this 3-volume encyclopedia cover a vast range of topics afecting global warming and climate change he entries amount to more than a catalog of terms; they are all part of one story about global warming and how it is likely to afect our world Scientiic objectivity have been the watchwords for the editors of this encyclopedia, yet diferent perspectives that various authors have on some of these issues are part of a conversation that citizens or students concerned about the environment ignore at their own risk Even the title of the work, Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, was carefully considered to include paleoclimatology in the discussion of weather, climate, and the current debate about global warming he authors of the entries include geographers, political scientists, chemists, anthropologists, medical practitioners, development experts, and sociologists hey are experts in their ields of specialty; many are researchers with extensive ieldwork experience; most of the entries on emerging techniques and technologies were written by innovators As the volumes intend, it has become increasingly essential to bring the multiplying global warming issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies together in one place, with the goal of clearly explaining an emerging way of thinking about people and their planet Among the selection of articles, speciic country entries are included, rather than climatic or environmental regions, to give the reader the opportunity to get information on the status of global warming—its causes and efects—by country, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe Also included are articles within speciic categories, including: atmospheric sciences; climate; climate change efects; climate and society; climate feedbacks; climate models; institutions studying climate change; oceanography; paleoclimates; programs and conventions; and people studying climate change Pedagogical elements of this encyclopedia include the 4-color Introduction by General Editor Dr S George Philander, in which the reader can get a “bird’s-eye view” of the sciences behind global warming Also included in the work are a chronology of climate change, resource guide, glossary, and appendix of charts and table graphically presenting relevant data Altogether, we hope the encyclopedia provides some groundwork for further discussion and spur possible action to curb global warming vii Reader’s Guide his list is provided to assist readers in inding articles related by category or theme ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Aerosols Anticyclones Atmospheric Absorption of Solar Radiation Atmospheric Boundary Layer Atmospheric Composition Atmospheric Emission of Infrared Radiation Atmospheric General Circulation Models Clouds, Cirrus Clouds, Cumulus Clouds, Stratus Condensation Convection Coriolis Force Cyclones Doldrums Evaporation and Transpiration Evolution of the Atmosphere Hadley Circulation Heat, Latent Heat, Sensible Hurricanes and Typhoons Hydrological Cycle Intertropical Convergence Zone Jet Streams Mesosphere Monsoons Precipitation Radiation, Absorption Radiation, Infrared Radiation, Long Wave Radiation, Microwave Radiation, Short Wave Radiation, Ultraviolet Rain Stratosphere hermosphere hunderstorms Trade Winds Troposhere Walker Circulation Waves, Gravity Waves, Internal Waves, Kelvin Waves, Planetary Waves, Rossby Weather Winds, Easterlies Winds, Westerlies CLIMATE Abrupt Climate Changes Aerosols Albedo ix .. .ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Global Warming and Climate Change ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Global Warming and Climate Change S George Philander GENERAL EDITOR VOLUMES - Copyright... title of the work, Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, was carefully considered to include paleoclimatology in the discussion of weather, climate, and the current debate about global. .. Glossary 1127 Appendix A-1 Index I-1 Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change About the General Editor S George Philander, Ph.D Knox Taylor Professor of Geosciences, Princeton University