| Description |
1 online resource (xii, 516 pages) : illustrations, maps |
| Contents |
Cover; Dryland Climatology; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Preface; Acknowledgments; Part I The dryland environment; 1 Introduction to dryland environments; 1.1 EXPLORATION AND AWARENESS OF DRYLANDS; 1.2 GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT OF DRYLANDS; 1.3 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF DRYLANDS; 1.4 ACQUISITION OF DATA AND INFORMATION; 1.4.1 IN SITU CLIMATIC AND METEOROLOGICAL DATA; 1.4.2 REMOTE SENSING; 1.4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING IN DRYLAND REGIONS; GEOLOGY, SURFACE FEATURES, AND SOILS; VEGETATION; LAND USE, LAND QUALITY, AND LAND-SURFACE CHANGE; LAND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS AND FLUXES |
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HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCESRAINFALL MONITORING; DUST, SMOKE AND FIRE; 1.4.4 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS; REFERENCES; 2 The geomorphologic background; 2.1 THE PHYSICAL SETTING; 2.2 THE PHYSIOGRAPHIC CONTINUUM; 2.2.1 DESERT UPLANDS AND SLOPES; 2.2.2 DESERT LOWLANDS; 2.2.3 DESERT LAKE BASINS; 2.3 DRAINAGE NETWORKS AND STREAMS; 2.4 FLUVIAL AND AEOLIAN PROCESSES; 2.4.1 WEATHERING; 2.4.2 TRANSPORT OF MATERIAL BY WIND AND WATER; 2.4.3 EROSION; 2.4.4 FORMATION OF DESERT PAVEMENTS; 2.5 SAND DUNES; 2.5.1 DUNES AND OTHER AEOLIAN FEATURES; 2.5.2 DUNE FORMS; 2.5.3 CONTROLS ON DUNE MORPHOLOGY |
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2.5.4 DUNE FORMATION2.5.5 DUNE FIELDS AND AIR FLOW AROUND DUNES; 2.6 DRYLAND SOILS; REFERENCES; 3 Vegetation of the dryland regions; 3.1 OVERVIEW OF DRYLAND VEGETATION; 3.1.1 VEGETATION TYPES/CLASSIFICATION; 3.1.2 GENERAL ASPECTS OF DRYLAND VEGETATION; 3.1.3 DESERT VEGETATION; 3.1.4 THE SAVANNAS; 3.1.5 MID-LATITUDE GRASSLANDS; 3.1.6 MEDITERRANEAN FOREST; 3.2 PLANT-WATER RELATIONSHIPS; 3.2.1 MOISTURE AVAILABILITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO DRYLAND VEGETATION; 3.2.2 THE EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE IN DRYLAND VEGETATION; 3.3 VEGETATION-CLIMATE INTERACTION AND THE DYNAMICS OF DRYLAND ECOSYSTEMS |
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3.4 HYPOTHESES FOR THE COEXISTENCE OF TREES AND GRASSES IN THE SAVANNA ECOSYSTEM3.5 THE EMERGING CONCEPT OF "PATCH DYNAMICS"; REFERENCES; Part II The meteorological background; 4 The general atmospheric circulation; 4.1 RECEIPT OF SOLAR RADIATION; 4.2 GLOBAL PATTERNS OF WIND AND PRESSURE; 4.3 MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE LOW LATITUDES; 4.3.1 SUBTROPICAL HIGH; 4.3.2 THE TRADE WINDS; 4.3.3 EQUATORIAL TROUGH AND INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE; 4.3.4 EQUATORIAL WESTERLIES; 4.3.5 THE MONSOONS; 4.4 SEASONAL CHANGES OF THE GENERAL ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION; 4.5 UPPER AIR PATTERNS |
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4.6 JET STREAMSREFERENCES; 5 The global distribution of arid climates and rainfall; 5.1 PRECIPITATION AND ARIDITY; 5.2 GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION AND ORIGIN OF THE DRYLAND CLIMATES; 5.3 GLOBAL PATTERNS OF RAINFALL SEASONALITY; 5.4 RAIN-BEARING SYSTEMS; 5.4.1 THE EXTRA-TROPICAL CYCLONE; 5.4.2 MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS; 5.4.3 DIAGONAL CLOUD BANDS; 5.4.4 TROPICAL WAVE DISTURBANCES; 5.4.5 TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS AND STORMS; 5.4.6 CUT-OFF LOWS; 5.5 MESOSCALE INFLUENCES ON RAINFALL; 5.6 QUASI-GLOBAL PHENOMENA THAT INFLUENCE PRECIPITATION; 5.6.1 THE EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION |
| Summary |
"A comprehensive review of dryland climates and their relationship to the physical environment, hydrology, and inhabitants. Chapters are divided into four major sections on background meteorology and climatology; the nature of dryland climates in relation to precipitation and hydrology; the climatology and climate dynamics of the major dryland regions on each continent; and an extensive review of long-term climate variability in the world's drylands. It includes key topics such as vegetation, geomorphology, desertification, micro-habitats, and adaptation to dryland environments. This interdisciplinary volume provides an extensive review of the primary literature (covering over 2500 references) and the conventional and satellite datasets that form key research tools for dryland climatology. Illustrated with over 100 photographs, it presents a unique view of dryland climates for a broad spectrum of researchers, environmental professionals and advanced students in climatology, meteorology, geography, environment science, earth system science, ecology, hydrology and geomorphology"-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
English |
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Print version record |
| Subject |
Arid regions climate.
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desert climate.
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SCIENCE -- Earth Sciences -- Meteorology & Climatology.
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NATURE -- Weather.
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Science.
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Arid regions climate
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Science.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| LC no. |
2011026304 |
| ISBN |
9781139190213 |
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1139190210 |
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9780511973840 |
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0511973845 |
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9781139185318 |
|
1139185314 |
|
9781139187626 |
|
1139187627 |
|
9781107215894 |
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1107215897 |
|
9786613378392 |
|
6613378399 |
|
9781139500241 |
|
1139500244 |
|
1139179322 |
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9781139179324 |
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1283378396 |
|
9781283378390 |
|
1139188909 |
|
9781139188906 |
|
1139182994 |
|
9781139182997 |
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