scholarly journals The Agro-Meteorological Caused Famines as an Evolutionary Factor in the Formation of Civilisation and History: Representative Cases in Europe

Climate ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Ioannis Charalampopoulos ◽  
Fotoula Droulia

Throughout history, food adequacy has been one of the most critical parameters for the survival of human societies. The prevailing atmospheric conditions have always been recognised as the primary and most uncontrolled factors that determine crop production, both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, this is only a part of the effects chain. In order to assess the magnitude of the potential cultural impacts of weather changes in a region, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying mechanism of successive consequences that relate the proximate causes, which in our case are the adverse Agro-Meteorological Conditions (AMC), to their effects on society. The present study focuses on the analysis of the impacts’ mechanism on human societies. Moreover, several characteristic agro-meteorological events that have led to significant changes in European civilisation are presented as case studies. The results highlight the linkage between weather and its impact on history evolution based on Agro-Meteorological Famine (AMF). The proposed concept and its analysis by the schematic presentation are in corroboration with the documented historical events of European history. Moreover, the presented connections between weather, agricultural production, and society revealed the significant contribution of the short-term adverse weather conditions on the mechanism of the human civilisation evolution.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 131-149
Author(s):  
I.N. Kuznetsova ◽  
◽  
Yu.V. Tkacheva ◽  
I.Yu. Shalygina ◽  
M.I. Nakhaev ◽  
...  

An improved algorithm for calculating a meteorological indicator of pollution dispersion in surface air (MIPD) using the COSMO-Ru7 configuration forecast data with a discreteness of 1 hour is presented. Using the MIPD as a function of the transport rate and thermal stratification in the atmospheric boundary layer, precipitation and advective temperature changes, the entire range of atmospheric conditions affecting the dispersion of pollutants is divided into three types: weak (the first type), moderate (the second type), and strong (the third type) dispersion. The worst conditions for the pollutant dispersion are provided by the MIPD of the first type; the set of meteorological parameters that determines it corresponds to adverse weather conditions (AWC) that contribute to the accumulation of pollutants in surface air. The proposed detailing within each type of MIPD in the form of subtypes can be useful for predicting AWC for single sources. Illustrations of the MIPD connection with fluctuations in the level of air pollution during the AWC episodes are given using automated measurements of pollutant concentration and fixed network measurements. An algorithm for the probabilistic forecasting of the MIPD, that allows taking into account the uncertainty of the forecast when issuing AWC warnings, is proposed and implemented. Keywords: meteorological conditions of air pollution, adverse weather conditions, numerical prediction


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-62
Author(s):  
Santiago Iglesias-Baniela ◽  
Juan Vinagre-Ríos ◽  
José M. Pérez-Canosa

It is a well-known fact that the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster caused the escort towing of laden tankers in many coastal areas of the world to become compulsory. In order to implement a new type of escort towing, specially designed to be employed in very adverse weather conditions, considerable changes in the hull form of escort tugs had to be made to improve their stability and performance. Since traditional winch and ropes technologies were only effective in calm waters, tugs had to be fitted with new devices. These improvements allowed the remodeled tugs to counterbalance the strong forces generated by the maneuvers in open waters. The aim of this paper is to perform a comprehensive literature review of the new high-performance automatic dynamic winches. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the best available technologies regarding towline, essential to properly exploit the new winches, will be carried out. Through this review, the way in which the escort towing industry has faced this technological challenge is shown.


2018 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 502-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.P. Ventikos ◽  
A.D. Papanikolaou ◽  
K. Louzis ◽  
A. Koimtzoglou

Transfers ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Huq-Hussain ◽  
Umme Habiba

This article examines the travel behavior of middle-class women in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh and one of the world's largest and most densely populated cities. In particular, we focus on women's use of non-motorized rickshaws to understand the constraints on mobility for women in Dhaka. Primary research, in the form of an empirical study that surveyed women in six neighborhoods of Dhaka, underpins our findings. Our quantitative and qualitative data presents a detailed picture of women's mobility through the city. We argue that although over 75 percent of women surveyed chose the rickshaw as their main vehicle for travel, they did so within a complex framework of limited transport options. Women's mobility patterns have been further complicated by government action to decrease congestion by banning rickshaws from major roads in the city. Our article highlights the constraints on mobility that middle-class women in Dhaka face including inadequate services, poorly maintained roads, adverse weather conditions, safety and security issues, and the difficulty of confronting traditional views of women in public arenas.


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