The processes regulating the climatology and annual cycle of the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and cold point are not fully understood. Three main drivers have been identified: planetary scale equatorial waves excited by tropical convection, planetary scale extratropical waves associated with the deep Brewer-Dobson Circulation, and synoptic scale waves associated with the midlatitude storm tr...

If the reign of finance in the cycle of capital accumulation is always a “sign of Autumn,” we seem finally to have arrived at the onset of Winter (Braudel 246). Or so one must suspect from the collapse of the global economy that began its run-up around 2006 and manifested itself in full over the course of 2007–2008. Whether this crisis is terminal remains a matter of open debate.1 Certainly if ...

The life cycle of the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, intersects in space and time with the expansion and contraction of annual pack ice. Consequently, the circumpolar distribution of krill has often been defi ned as generally limited to an area bounded by the maximum extent of pack ice. Pack ice has both direct and indirect effects on the life cycle of krill. During the austral winter, lar...

The warming trend for the entire globe (1850 to 2005) is 0.04°C decade–1. A specific warming period started around 1980 and continues until the present. This warming also occurred in the Baltic Sea catchment, which lies between maritime temperate and continental subarctic climate zones. A detailed study of climate variability and the associated impact on the Baltic Sea area for the period 1958 ...

Winter-flooding of rice paddies without the application of agricultural chemicals is attracting attention as a new agricultural method for enhancing the habitat conditions of wintering waterfowl in rice paddy ecosystems throughout Japan and east Asia. Conditions in these paddies are expected to result in restoration of not only the winter habitats of waterfowl but also those of other taxonomic ...

It is usually thought that a year consists of four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Taiwan basically follows the rule. Taiwan climate is mainly governed by monsoons. Therefore, the beginning of summer (winter) can be interpreted as the inward movement of summer (winter) monsoons. Considering the important role of mei-yu period, Chen (2000) pointed out that mei-yu should be added as a...

Winter soil respiration (Rs) is becoming a significant component of annual carbon budgets with more warming in winter than summer. However, little is known about the controlling mechanisms of winter Rs in dryland. We made continuous measurements of Rs in four microsites (non-crust (BS), lichen (LC), moss (MC), and a mixture of moss and lichen (ML)) in a desert shrub-land ecosystem northern Chin...

Using body mass and breeding data of individual penguins collected continuously over 7 years (2002-2008), we examined carry-over effects of winter body mass on timing of laying and breeding success in a resident seabird, the little penguin (Eudyptula minor). The austral winter month of July consistently had the lowest rate of colony attendance, which confirmed our expectation that penguins work...

Northern ungulates acclimatize to winter conditions with restricted food supply and unfavorable weather conditions by reducing energy expenditure and voluntary food intake. We investigated in a study on red deer whether rates of peptide and glucose transport in the small intestines are also reduced during winter as part of the thrifty phenotype of winter-acclimatized animals, or whether transpo...