Climate, Climate Variability, and Impacts in the Mediterranean Area: An Overview

Abstract

This is the first volume in the series ""Regional Climate " "Studies"." It presents the analysis of climatological data from 500 years b.c. to the present day. It discusses climate variablity and its interaction with the biosphere in the Mediterranean area. Different approaches are applied to describe and interpret climate variability and to denote trends. Specific emphasis is given to variable water cycle which makes the book a prerequisite for all those concerned with the problem of desertification as well as the validation of climate models. The book adresses the role of remote sensing data to detect synergies throughout the Mediterranean basin and refers to recent marine research results. The second volume of the series will probably be published in February 2003.