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Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America / Edition 1

Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America / Edition 1

by Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, Cary J. Mock
Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America / Edition 1
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ISBN-10:
9048128277
ISBN-13:
9789048128273
Pub. Date:
12/16/2009
Publisher:
Springer Netherlands
ISBN-10:
9048128277
ISBN-13:
9789048128273
Pub. Date:
12/16/2009
Publisher:
Springer Netherlands
Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America / Edition 1

Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America / Edition 1

by Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, Cary J. Mock

Overview

Climatologists with an eye on the past have any number of sources for their work, from personal diaries to weather station reports. Piecing together the trajectory of a weather event can thus be a painstaking process taking years and involving real detective work. Missing pieces of a climate puzzle can come from very far afield, often in unlikely places. In this book, a series of case studies examine specific regions across North America, using instrumental and documentary data from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Extreme weather events such as the Sitka hurricane of 1880 are recounted in detail, while the chapters also cover more widespread phenomena such as the collapse of the Low Country rice culture. The book also looks at the role of weather station histories in complementing the instrumental record, and sets out the methods that involve early instrumental and documentary climate data. Finally, the book’s focus on North America reflects the fact that the historical climate community there has only grown relatively recently. Up to now, most such studies have focused on Europe and Asia.

The four sections begin with regional case studies, and move on to reconstruct extreme events and parameters. This is followed by the role of station history and, lastly, methodologies and other analyses. The editors’ aim has been to produce a volume that would be instrumental in molding the next generation of historical climatologists. They designed this book for use by general researchers as well as in upper-level undergraduate or graduate level courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9789048128273
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Publication date: 12/16/2009
Edition description: 2009
Pages: 278
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Editor Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux received her Ph.D. in Climatology and Geographic Information Systems from McGill University in 1996 and has since held a variety of professorships and research positions. Dr. Dupigny-Giroux currently serves as the Vermont State Climatologist and teaches at the University of Vermont. She has also authored and co-authored numerous scholarly publications and delivered many presentations. Dr. Dupigny-Giroux is additionally the member of such scientific affiliations as the American Associated of State Climatologists and the American Geophysical Union.

Editor Dr. Cary J. Mock received a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Oregon in 1994; Dr. Mock has since served as a professor of various courses and has pursued his research interests of synoptic climatology and paleoclimatology among others. Dr. Mock has also written numerous scholarly articles, papers, and other publications. Dr. Mock currently serves as the Principle Investigator for both the National Science Foundation's Earth System History and Paleoclimate Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Climate Data Center.

Table of Contents

Part I Regional Case Studies

The Great Flood of 1771: An Explanation of Natural Causes and Social Effects Dennis B. Blanton Michael Chenoweth Cary J. Mock 3

Historical Changes to the Tennessee Precipitation Regime Jan Mojzisek Cary J. Mock 23

"Don't Want to See No More...Like That!": Climate Change as a Factor in the Collapse of Lowcountry Rice Culture, 1893-1920 James H. Tuten 35

Climate in the Historical Record of Sixteenth Century Spanish Florida: The Case of Santa Elena Re-examined Karen L. Paar 47

Part II Reconstructing Extreme Events and Parameters

Historical Accounts of the Drought and Hurricane Season of 1860 Stephanie F. Dodds Dorian J. Burnette Cary J. Mock 61

Reconstructing 19th Century Atlantic Basin Hurricanes at Differing Spatial Scales David A. Glenn Douglas O. Mayes 79

The Sitka Hurricane of October 1880 Cary J. Mock Stephanie F. Dodds 99

Daily Synoptic Weather Map Analysis of the New England Cold Wave and Snowstorms of 5 to 11 June 1816 Michael Chenoweth 107

March 1843: The Most Abnormal Month Ever? John W. Nielsen-Gammon Brent McRoberts 123

Part III The Role of Station History in Understanding the Instrumental Record

Weather Station History and Introduced Variability in Climate Data Glen Conner 149

Monitoring the Climate of the Old Northwest: 1820-1895 Edward J. Hopkins Joseph M. Moran 171

Spatial Metadata for Weather Stations and the Interpretation of Climate Data Stuart Foster Rezaul Mahmood 189

Part IV Methodologies and Other Analyses

A Seasonal Warm/Cold Index for the Southern Yukon Territory: 1842-1852 Heather Tompkins 209

Backward Seasons, Droughts and Other Bioclimatic Indicators of Variability Lesley-Ann L. Dupigny-Giroux 231

The Challenge of Snow Measurements Nolan J. Doesken David A. Robinson 251

Index 275

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