Characteristics of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), such as frequency, propagation, spatial extent, and amplitude, strongly depend on the climatological background state of the tropical Pacific. Multidecadal changes in the oceanmean state are hence likely tomodulate ENSOproperties. To better link background state variations with low-frequency amplitude changes of ENSO, we develop a diag...

The theory of noise-induced phase transitions in a pendulum with a randomly vibrating suspension axis is outlined. It is shown that such transitions are associated with ordering of the system state. The results of numerical simulation of the transitions under consideration are given. The problem of distinguishing noiseinduced oscillations and chaotic oscillations of dynamical origin is discusse...

The main features of four-neutrino 3+1 and 2+2 mixing schemes are reviewed, after a discussion on the necessity of at least four massive neutrinos if the solar, atmospheric and LSND anomalies are due to neutrino oscillations.

We show that the redshift-space quadrupole will be a powerful tool for constraining dark energy even if the baryon oscillations are missing from the monopole power spectrum and bias is scale and time dependent. We calculate the accuracy with which next-generation galaxy surveys such as KAOS will measure the quadrupole power spectrum, which gives the leading anisotropies in the power spectrum in...

The genus Vanhartenidia Lelej, 2006 is newly recorded from Egypt. A new species, V. mandishaensis El-Torkey & Soliman, sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Bahariya Oasis (Giza, Egypt).

The paper reviews the relationship between spatial and transportation planning in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that most urbanisation in the region has largely occurred subsequent to the 1950s and, accordingly, urban development has been profoundly and negatively affected by the (misguided) spatial and institutional tenets of modernis...

Although much of the focus on future sea level rise concerns the long-term trend associated with anthropogenic warming, on shorter time scales, internal climate variability can contribute significantly to regional sea level. Such sea level variability should be taken into consideration when planning efforts to mitigate the effects of future sea level change. In this study, we quantify the contr...

topography, alternating monsoon forcing and conjunction of several current systems [such as the Zhejiang–Fujian (Zhe–Min) Coastal Current, the Kuroshio intrusion and the extension of the South China Sea Warm Current], the physical and biogeochemical processes and ecosystem dynamics in the Taiwan Strait vary significantly both in space and in time. Our recent interdisciplinary studies, combining...

Middle reaches of the Yangtze River are the worst flooded segments along the Yangtze River. It is important to understand and study the variations of frequency and magnitude of historical floods in this area and how were they related to or affected by EI Niño in a long historical period. We applied the statistics and time series to study and analyze historical floods (1470–2000) and EI Niño eve...

The impacts of ENSO and North American climate modes on seasonal snowfall in the Mid-Atlantic region are investigated. Particular emphasis is placed on the convergent patterns of El Nino and negative NAO during Northern Hemisphere winter. This study is motivated by the highly anomalous events associated with the 2009-2010 winter season, as well as by a general interest in mid-latitude synoptic ...