Temperature fluctuation beats as a reason for the anomalously hot summer of 2010 in the European part of Russia

Presented are the explanations of reasons for the anomalous heat in summer of 2010 in the central area of the European part of Russia. It is demonstrated that this event occurred due to the beating of the solar annual (365 days) and lunar annual (355 days) fluctuations of air temperature. To substantiate this conclusion, the data are given on the synchronization of changes in atmospheric processes with the tidal variations of the Earth??s rotation velocity and on the nature of lunar cycles. Illustrated are the evidences of their existence in air temperature fluctuations. Revealed is the sequence of anomalously hot summer seasons in 1901, 1936 (1938), 1972, and 2010 corroborating the existence of the 35-year period of air temperature beats. Proposed is a mechanism of the impact of luni-solar tides on the air temperature based on the interaction between the gravitational luni-solar tides and the radiation conditions in the atmosphere (caused by the cloudiness amount variations).     

Estimation of water balance components in the Black Sea

Presented are the estimates of precipitation amount and evaporation for the Black Sea basin based on the data of numerical regional reanalysis. The spatial distribution of considered variables is compared with the results obtained before using the method of extrapolation of measurements at the coastal meteorological stations. The computed water balance components of the Black Sea compared with the available literature data are used for obtaining the estimate of the mean water discharge in the Bosphorus.     

Method of determination of heat,moisture, and momentum fluxes in the stratified surface layer

The method is proposed to determine the main fluxes characterizing the surface stratified layer of plants’ habitat using the Monin-Obukhov length scale. The gradient measurements of the profiles of wind flow speed, relative humidity, and air temperature are carried out. The experimental data are obtained using the mobile automated system. The wavelet analysis of time series is carried out. The nonlinear equation system is numerically solved to determine the heat, moisture, and momentum fluxes which can be used for the optimum control of the plant moisture supply in the agricultural field.     

Stochastic simulations of the Madden�CJulian oscillation activity

The Madden?CJulian oscillation (MJO) is the most prominent form of tropical intraseasonal variability. This study investigated the following questions. Do interannual-to-decadal variations in tropical sea surface temperature (SST) lead to substantial changes in MJO activity? Was there a change in the MJO in the 1970s? Can this change be associated to SST anomalies? What was the level of MJO activity in the pre-reanalysis era? These questions were investigated with a stochastic model of the MJO. Reanalysis data (1948?C2008) were used to develop a nine-state first order Markov model capable to simulate the non-stationarity of the MJO. The model is driven by observed SST anomalies and a large ensemble of simulations was performed to infer the activity of the MJO in the instrumental period (1880?C2008). The model is capable to reproduce the activity of the MJO during the reanalysis period. The simulations indicate that the MJO exhibited a regime of near normal activity in 1948?C1972 (3.4?events?year^?1) and two regimes of high activity in 1973?C1989 (3.9 events) and 1990?C2008 (4.6 events). Stochastic simulations indicate decadal shifts with near normal levels in 1880?C1895 (3.4 events), low activity in 1896?C1917 (2.6 events) and a return to near normal levels during 1918?C1947 (3.3 events). The results also point out to significant decadal changes in probabilities of very active years (5 or more MJO events): 0.214 (1880?C1895), 0.076 (1896?C1917), 0.197 (1918?C1947) and 0.193 (1948?C1972). After a change in behavior in the 1970s, this probability has increased to 0.329 (1973?C1989) and 0.510 (1990?C2008). The observational and stochastic simulations presented here call attention to the need to further understand the variability of the MJO on a wide range of time scales.     

Preface

Climate change is one of the most challenging issues faced by human beings. Although many remarkable achievements have been made in climate change research,there is still a tremendous amount of uncertainty in     

Cartography in the era of informatization: New problems and possibilities

This paper is concerned with some issues related to the changes in the role, properties and characteristics of cartography in connection with the transition of mankind from the industrial age to the information (post-industrial) age. Emphasis is placed on the essence of the process of perception of the environment by humans through data provided to them where the object of perception and the subject perceiving information are located at different points of the space-time continuum. The study identifies eight characteristic features of the information age, the new challenges and requirements, the possibilities of information society, and the related new tasks of cartographic support of the economy. It is shown that the main difference of the information age from the industrial age implies a transition from the commodity-producing economy to the economy of information services. Based on this, it is concluded that there is a need for the provision of various cartographic services, such as the generation of cartographic information as requested as well as supplying it to various users. Seven main statements are formulated, which characterize the peculiarities, properties and methodological foundations of cartography under the new conditions. The definitions of the role and subject of cartography in the information age are suggested. An interpretation is given to the term “neocartography”, and its main characteristics are presented. The notion of a multipurpose cartographic resource is introduced.