Climate Changes During The Holocene And Their Impact On Hydrological Systems

Climate Changes during the Holocene and their Impact on Hydrological Systems It is now widely accepted that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are affecting the Earth’s radiation balance, resulting in higher global atmospheric temperatures. However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the likely effects of such a temperature rise on climate, and even more about the impacts of climate change and variability on the world’s hydrological regimes and socio-economic systems. Studying the effects of climate variability in the past can give clues regarding possible future effects. This volume provides a comprehensive review of the effects of climate variability on hydrological and human systems in the Holocene (approximately the last 10,000 years of pre-history and history), in various parts of the world. The book concentrates on the regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the east and north, the western and central parts of Europe, China, Japan, west and south Africa and the southwestern USA. The main conclusion is that global warming will bring about a decrease in precipitation in the regions dominated by the westerlies (Mediterranean climates) and an increase in precipitation in the monsoon (sub-tropical and tropical climates) regions. Climate Changes during the Holocene and their Impact on Hydrological Systems will be of value to researchers and professionals in hydrology, climatology, geology and historical geography. arie s. issar received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From 1961 to 1964, he was an advisor to the Government of Iran in the field of groundwater, research and development, under the auspices of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). From 1965 to 1974 he was Head of the Hydrogeological Division of the Geological Survey of Israel. In 1975, he founded and later led the Water Resources Research Center of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, and became a Professor of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he was holder of the Alain Poher Chair in the Hydrogeology of Arid Zones. Professor Issar has published over a hundred papers in scientific journals concerning hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of arid zones, the water problems of the Middle East, as well as the impact of climate change on hydrology and socio-economic systems. He has authored or co-authored several books, including: Groundwater Recharge: A Guide to Understanding and Estimating Natural Recharge (1990; Lerner, D. N., Issar, A. S., Simmers, I. IAH & Verlag Heinz Heise). Water Shall Flow from the Rock: Hydrogeology and Climate in the Lands of the Bible (1990; Springer-Verlag) Runoff, Infiltration and Subsurface Flow of Water in Arid and Semi-arid Regions (1996; Edited by A. S. Issar and S. D. Resnick; Kluwer Academic Publishers). Diachronic Climatic Impacts on Water Resources (1996; edited by A. N. Angelakis and A. S. Issar, NATO ASI Series, Springer-Verlag) Water, Environment and Society in Times of Climate Change (1998; edited by A. S. Issar and N. Brown; Kluwer Academic Publishers). INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGY SERIES The International Hydrological Programme (IHP) was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1975 as the successor to the International Hydrological Decade. The long-term goal of the IHP is to advance our understanding of processes occurring in the water cycle and to integrate this knowledge into water resources management. The IHP is the only UN science and educational programme in the field of water resources, and one of its outputs has been a steady stream of technical and information documents aimed at water specialists and decision-makers. The International Hydro