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Discussion about limiting influence of climate conditions on dynamics of the pacific salmon populations and generally on biological resources of the Far-Eastern Seas is continuing. Multifactor impacts of climate and oceanographic conditions on populations and communities are concluded that cannot be described only by climatic indices and anomalies of the surface water temperature in the ocean in winter. Dynamics of the fish and invertebrates populations in various regions of the Far-Eastern Seas show a positive effect of climate warming on state and sustainability of the resource base for fisheries.

The intricately fluctuating onset of respiratory and circulatory diseases displays rhythms of multi-scaled meteorological conditions due to their sensitivity to weather changes. The intrinsic meteorological rhythms of these diseases are revealed in this bio-meteorological study via Fourier decomposition and harmonic analysis. Daily emergency room (ER) visit data for respiratory and circulatory diseases from three comprehensive hospitals in Haidian district of Beijing, China were used in the analysis. Meteorological data included three temperature metrics, relative humidity, sunshine duration, daily mean air pressure, and wind speed. The Fourier decomposition and harmonic analysis on ER visits and meteorological variables involve frequency, period, and power of all harmonics. The results indicated that: i) for respiratory morbidity, a strong climatic annual rhythm responding to annual temperature change was firstly revealed; its ratio of spectral density was 16–33%. Moreover, significant correlations existed between the high-frequency fluctuations (

Theoretical model of a solar photovoltaic integrated water-Lithium bromide absorption system is presented for domestic air conditioning. Surplus electrical energy from photovoltaic modules is used for charging the battery, which is utilized during the periods of zero or insufficient solar radiation. Minimum solar area required for each month is calculated and October is identified as the month requiring the highest area of photovoltaic arrays for a constant cooling load of 3.5 kW. The integrated system is found to be capable of sufficient amount of surplus electrical energy generation during both summer and winter months, with a daily excess of about 815 Ah of electrical energy on average over a complete calendar year. Designed system is found to be economically viable, having an energy payback period of 2.7 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean-climate zone, recurrent drought events and increasing water demand generally lead to a decrease in freshwater input to estuaries. This water scarcity may alter the proper function of estuaries as nursery areas for marine species and as permanent habitat for estuarine species. A 12-year data set of the aquatic macrofauna (fish, decapod and mysid crustaceans) in a Mediterranean estuary (Guadalquivir estuary, South Spain) was analysed to test if water scarcity favours the nursery function of regional estuaries to the detriment of permanent estuarine inhabitants. Target species typically displayed a salinity-related distribution and estuarine salinisation in dry years resulted in a general upstream community displacement. However, annual densities of marine species were neither consistently higher in dry years nor estuarine species during wet years. Exceptions included the estuarine mysid Neomysis integer and the marine shrimp Crangon crangon , which were more abundant in wet and dry years, respectively. High and persistent turbidity, a collateral effect of water scarcity, altered both the structural (salinity-related pattern) and functional (key prey species and predator density) community characteristics, chiefly after the second drought period of the analysis. The observed high inter-year environmental variability, as well as species-specific effects of water scarcity, suggests that exhaustive and long-term sampling programmes will be required for rigorously monitoring the estuarine communities of the Mediterranean-climate region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A fully coupled three-dimensional groundwater flow and heat transport (convection–conduction) model has been developed, including permafrost. The model covers the entire Paris basin and is focused on the Meuse/Haute-Marne Sector area and the Bure investigation site. The model was calibrated on the basis of the present hydro-thermal situation. The studied time period corresponds to what is considered a typical climatic cycle of length 130,000year. A build-up of a superficial glacial ice mass is not included in the model; it is assumed that accumulated snow will melt during the summer months. The temperature boundary condition on top of the model is specified as a time-varying surface temperature. The temperatures are derived from an estimate of the future climatic evolution. It is the changes with time of the prescribed temperatures along the topography that drives all changes in groundwater flow, temperature and permafrost inside the model. The simulations are transient, but the initial condition of the base case represents a steady state situation. The simulated time period, for reaching a steady state situation of groundwater flows and temperatures in the deep and highly permeable layers of the Dogger (in the Sector area) is considerable (in the range of 50,000years), depending on perturbation studied (e.g. a change in surface temperature of 5°) and convergence criteria. The simulated depth of the permafrost varies in space and time during the studied glacial periods. Within the area studied (the Sector area), the simulated permafrost reaches a maximum depth of approx. 110m. This is a median depth taking into account the spatial distribution of the permafrost. The lowest simulated temperature in the lower parts of the Callovo–Oxfordian clay stone, in the immediate vicinity of the Bure investigation site (in the Sector area), is approx. 14.5°C, which is approx. 7.5°C lower than the initial temperature (22°C). A full reversion back to the initial temperatures will not occur during the studied climatic cycle. There are no dramatic changes in size and direction of the groundwater flow, when considering the climatic cycle studied and the deeper geological layers directly above and below the Callovo–Oxfordian clay stone, downstream of the Bure site. The largest change will occur during periods with large extension of permafrost; the flow is reduced with approximately 10% through 25%, in relation to the initial flow (considering median values of the spatially varying flow field). The changes in the Dogger units are smaller than the changes in the Oxfordian units. The groundwater flow at great depths has not fully reverted to the initial flow situation at the end of the studied climatic cycle. When considering near-surface layers and outcrops of highly permeable materials, the situation will be very different to that at greater depths. With extensive permafrost, hydraulic conductivity and recharge will be reduced to zero, the head values below the permafrost may fall as much as 50m and the groundwater flow close to the outcrops will be reduced accordingly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vegetation inherited from a Pliocene subtropical climate evolved through obliquity oscillations and global cooling leading to modern conditions. An integrated, highly time-resolved record of pollen and stable isotopes (δ 18O and δ 13C of Globigerina bulloides) was obtained to understand vegetation responses to Early Pleistocene climate changes. Continental and marine responses are compared in the Central Mediterranean region with a particular consideration of environmental changes during anoxic events. Pollen data illustrate vegetation dynamics as follows: [1] development of mesothermic elements (warm and humid conditions); [2] expansion of mid- and high-altitude elements (cooler but still humid conditions); and [3] strengthening of steppe and herb elements (cooler and dry conditions). These successions correlate with precession. δ 18O variations recorded by Globigerina bulloides define two cycles (MIS 43-40) related to obliquity. At northern low- to mid-latitudes, the pollen signal records temperature and wetness changes related to precession even during global climate changes induced by obliquity. This may result in unexpected increasing wetness during glacial periods, which has to be considered specific to the Central and Eastern Mediterranean region. Lastly, an analysis of anoxic events reveals that enhanced runoff is indicated by increasing frequency of the riparian trees Liquidambar and Zelkova. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Calcitic stalagmites from caves in the Sauerland, Germany, prove the existence of sub-Milankovitch cycles in precipitation during the last 6000 yr. The δ18O record dated with Th/U is interpreted as an indicator of paleohumidity. Spectral analysis of δ18O from 6000 a BP up to the recent top of a stalagmite from the Atta cave yields statistically significant peaks at 1450, 117, 64 and 57 a. Additionally we find a good correlation of the stalagmite’s δ18O and Δ14C from European tree rings. The 1450 a cycle in the stalagmite probably is analogous to the pervasive millennial scale climate cycle described by Bond et al. [Science 278 (1997) 1257–1266; 294 (2001) 2130–2136] derived from the amount of ice rafted debris in deep sediments from the North Atlantic. Our results suggest that the centennial to millennial shifts observed in the North Atlantic are accompanied by synchronous shifts of the climate in Northern and Central Europe, which most probably can be attributed to solar irradiation variations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]