Sign-In
Cart
The El Niño Phenomenon
Paperback
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
ISBN13: 9798186949565
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.50
Height: 0.47 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.50
Height: 0.47 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
The most important weather-maker on Earth is not a storm or a season but a slow, recurring shift in the temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Every two to seven years it returns, and when it does, the consequences ripple outward to nearly every corner of the globe. This is El Niño, and this book is its complete story.
Written for the curious general reader, The El Niño Phenomenon explains, in clear and patient prose, exactly what El Niño is and why it matters. It begins with the Peruvian fishermen who named the warm Christmas current centuries ago, and builds, step by step, to a full picture of the coupled ocean-and-atmosphere system that scientists now understand in remarkable detail. Along the way it explains the trade winds and the thermocline, the Bjerknes feedback and the Walker circulation, the cold counterpart called La Niña, and the slow breathing of heat across the Pacific that sets the rhythm of the whole cycle, all without jargon and without assuming any background in science.
From there the book follows El Niño out into the world. It traces how a single warming of the Pacific reaches across every continent through the atmospheric links scientists call teleconnections, bringing drought to Southern Africa and Australia, flooding to Peru and Ecuador, fire to the forests of Indonesia, and outbreaks of cholera, dengue, and other diseases in its wake. It recounts the great historical events, including the catastrophic global famine of 1877 that killed tens of millions, and the modern super events of 1972, 1982, 1997, and 2015. It counts the staggering economic cost, measured in trillions of dollars, and explains who pays it.
The book also tells the story of how the phenomenon came to be understood and predicted: the statistical genius of Gilbert Walker, the synthesis of Jacob Bjerknes, the buoys and satellites that now watch the equator, and the first forecast that turned El Niño from a surprise into something the world could see coming. It examines the hardest current questions, including how a warming climate is changing the events, why the science remains genuinely unsettled, and how early warning and anticipatory action are now saving lives.
Finally, it turns to the event building in the Pacific today, one of the strongest ever recorded, and to what living with this recurring force of nature demands of governments, communities, and households alike. It shows how forecasts made months in advance are turned into action on the ground, how early warning and pre-arranged financing now protect millions of people, and why the next return is already forming beneath the surface of the ocean even as the current event reaches its peak.
Comprehensive yet readable, rigorous yet free of equations, this is the definitive single-volume introduction to the phenomenon that shapes the world's weather. If you have ever wondered what El Niño really is, why it returns, and what it means for the future, this book is where to begin.
From there the book follows El Niño out into the world. It traces how a single warming of the Pacific reaches across every continent through the atmospheric links scientists call teleconnections, bringing drought to Southern Africa and Australia, flooding to Peru and Ecuador, fire to the forests of Indonesia, and outbreaks of cholera, dengue, and other diseases in its wake. It recounts the great historical events, including the catastrophic global famine of 1877 that killed tens of millions, and the modern super events of 1972, 1982, 1997, and 2015. It counts the staggering economic cost, measured in trillions of dollars, and explains who pays it.
The book also tells the story of how the phenomenon came to be understood and predicted: the statistical genius of Gilbert Walker, the synthesis of Jacob Bjerknes, the buoys and satellites that now watch the equator, and the first forecast that turned El Niño from a surprise into something the world could see coming. It examines the hardest current questions, including how a warming climate is changing the events, why the science remains genuinely unsettled, and how early warning and anticipatory action are now saving lives.
Finally, it turns to the event building in the Pacific today, one of the strongest ever recorded, and to what living with this recurring force of nature demands of governments, communities, and households alike. It shows how forecasts made months in advance are turned into action on the ground, how early warning and pre-arranged financing now protect millions of people, and why the next return is already forming beneath the surface of the ocean even as the current event reaches its peak.
Comprehensive yet readable, rigorous yet free of equations, this is the definitive single-volume introduction to the phenomenon that shapes the world's weather. If you have ever wondered what El Niño really is, why it returns, and what it means for the future, this book is where to begin.
Also from
Hartley, Edward
Report on the Coals and Iron Ores of Pictou County, Nova Scotia [microform]
Hartley, Edward
Paperback
$19.94
Also in
Environmental Studies
Wildly Successful Farming: Sustainability and the New Agricultural Land Ethic
DeVore, Brian
Hardcover
$26.95
The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms That Sustain Life
Eklöf, Johan
Hardcover
$12.99
Grassroots Rising: A Call to Action on Climate, Farming, Food, and a Green New Deal
Cummins, Ronnie
Paperback
From $10.99
The Return of Collective Intelligence: Ancient Wisdom for a World Out of Balance
Dyer, Dery
Paperback
From $9.99
Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World
McNeill, J. R.
Paperback
$10.99
Without Reservation: Awakening to Native American Spirituality and the Ways of Our Ancestors
Kritkausky, Randy
Paperback
$19.00
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Paperback
$19.80
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
Schlanger, Zoë
Paperback
$17.99
The Traveler: One Man's Quest for Humanity from the South Seas to Revolutionary Paris
Wulf, Andrea
Hardcover
$34.20
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
Sheldrake, Merlin
Paperback
$18.00
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Hardcover
$38.00
Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail
Swift, Earl
Hardcover
$28.80
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate--Discoveries from a Secret World
Wohlleben, Peter
Hardcover
From $14.99
Our Wild Familiars: How Animals Are Adapting to Cities and Reshaping the Natural World
Werb, Dan
Hardcover
$27.00
Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization
McKibben, Bill
Hardcover
$28.49
The Ghost of the Mountains: Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard
Suryawanshi, Kulbhushansingh
Hardcover
$28.80
The Earth Said Remember Me: How to Revive Our Memories and Restore the Planet
Mark, Jason Dove
Hardcover
$22.49
Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the Fbi, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage
Wolfe, Matthew
Hardcover
$27.90
Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Likes to Walk Outside
Offerman, Nick
Paperback
$18.00
Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet
Gardiner, Beth
Hardcover
$28.80
Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic
Rosen, Kenneth R.
Hardcover
$27.55
We Will Be Jaguars (Reese's Book Club Pick): A Memoir of My People
Nenquimo, Nemonte
Anderson, Mitch
Paperback
$16.20
The Summer of Death: The Great Heat Wave of 1936 and the Making of Modern-Day America
Williams, Geoff
Hardcover
$33.25
The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late
Mahoney, Adam
Beyond Plastics
Enck, Judith
Hardcover
From $17.99
Where the Earth Meets the Sky: A Story of Penguins, People, and Place in Antarctica
Blight, Louise K.
Hardcover
$30.40
Frostlines: A Journey Through Entangled Lives and Landscapes in a Warming Arctic
Shea, Neil
Hardcover
$25.20
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Egan, Timothy
Paperback
From $10.99
Romp!: A Journey Through the Natural History of Otters and Why They Matter
Island, Heide, PhD
Hardcover
$27.55
Otherworldly America: Explore the Most Unique Natural Wonders of the United States
Guzman, Jake
Hardcover
$38.00
Pests & Other Friends: Discover the True Nature of the Most Maligned Animals
Berryman, Halsey
Hardcover
$23.74
Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn, and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A.
Vigliotti, Jonathan
Hardcover
$27.00
Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening: Inviting Nature Into Your Backyard
McCoshum, Shaun
Paperback
$28.45
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
Tallamy, Douglas W.
Hardcover
$28.50
Compost After Reading: A Practical Manifesto for Purposeful Decomposition
Marketos, Cassandra
Paperback
$18.99
Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers
Ritchie, Hannah
Hardcover
$25.16
Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World
Mann, Michael E.
Hotez, Peter J.
Hardcover
$28.80
Leave the Lights on: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species
Dunn, Elizabeth
Zhao, Jiaying
Hardcover
$27.90
The World Beneath Our Feet: The Hidden Life of Soil and Why It Matters to Us All
Ashwood, Frank
Hardcover
$28.50
5 Steps to a 5: AP Environmental Science 2027: Practice AP Tests + AP Content Review + Digital Exams
Mayer, Courtney
Paperback
$27.85
Tigers Between Empires: The Improbable Return of Great Cats to the Forests of Russia and China
Slaght, Jonathan C.
Hardcover
$29.70
How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller's Guide to Changing the World
Hopkins, Rob
Hardcover
$28.45
Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have
Schlossberg, Tatiana
Paperback
$18.99
Alaska Literary Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry
Holleman, Marybeth
Lord, Nancy
Grace Moler, Shaelene
Paperback
$28.45
Progress: How One Idea Built Civilization and Now Threatens to Destroy It
McDonald, Samuel Miller
Hardcover
$30.60
Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make
Rowland, Becca
Paperback
$16.14
Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World
Rothman, Julia
Paperback
$18.04
A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times
Aktipis, Athena
Paperback
$17.09
Brought to You by: How Corporations Warped the Truth, Conned the Public, and Broke Democracy
Westervelt, Amy
Hardcover
$28.50
Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey Into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon
Rosolie, Paul
Paperback
$18.99
Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail
Lankford, Andrea
Paperback
$18.99
On Island Time: A Traveler's Atlas: Illustrated Adventures on and Around the Islands of Washington and British Columbia
O'Leary, Chandler
Paperback
$23.70
Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark
Henion, Leigh Ann
Hardcover
$28.50
Nature's Echo: Harnessing Ancient Feedback Loops to Heal a Changing Planet
Crowther, Thomas
Hardcover
$28.49
Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie
Hage, Dave
Marcotty, Josephine
Hardcover
$28.80
The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life
Dunn, Rob
Hardcover
$28.80
The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World
Brannen, Peter
Hardcover
From $19.99
Compassion in Crisis: Building Disaster-Resilient Communities
Weiner, Kate Rose
Loften, Kailea Rose
Paperback
$26.60
The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-Lachaise
Gallot, Benoît
Paperback
$17.05
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness
Kloos, Scott
Paperback
$26.59
Let's Become Fungal!: Mycelium Teachings and the Arts: Based on Conversations with Indigenous Wisdom Keepers, Artists, Curators, Feminists and Mycolog
Ostendorf-Rodríguez, Yasmine
Paperback
$28.45
Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science
Hernandez, Jessica
Paperback
$19.90
Pacific Northwest Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alaska Blueberries to Wild Hazelnuts
Deur, Douglas
Paperback
$24.69
The New Beachcomber's Guide to the Pacific Northwest: Second Revised Edition
Sept, J. Duane
Paperback
$28.45
The Ultimate Shell Seeker's Guide: Building a Better Beachcombing Strategy
Oliphant, Ashley
Paperback
$28.45
Winter Tree Finder: Identifying Deciduous Trees of Eastern North America by Their Bark and Twigs
Watts, May Theilgaard
Paperback
$7.16
The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
$18.00
Warden Force: The Worst of the Worst and Other True Game Warden Adventures: Episodes 101-114
Hodges, Terry
Paperback
$14.95
Shelter from the Storm: How Climate Change Is Creating a New Era of Migration
Hattem, Julian
Hardcover
$25.19
Active Hope (Revised): How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power
Johnstone, Chris
Macy, Joanna
Paperback
$17.06
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
deGroot, Dagomar
Hardcover
$28.80