Proxy (climate)

In the study of past climates ("paleoclimatology"),climate proxies are preserved physical characteristics of the past that stand in for direct measurements to enable scientists to reconstruct the climatic conditions that prevailed during much of the Earth's history. As reliable modern records of climate began only in the 1880s, proxies provide a means for scientists to use proxy methods to determine climatic patterns before record-keeping began.

Examples of proxies include ice cores, tree rings, sub-fossil pollen, boreholes, corals, lake and ocean sediments, and carbonate speleothems. The character of deposition or rate of growth of the proxies' material has been influenced by the climatic conditions of the time in which they were laid down or grew. Chemical traces produced by climatic changes, such as quantities of particular isotopes, can be recovered from proxies. Some proxies, such as gas bubbles trapped in ice, enable traces of the ancient atmosphere to be recovered and measured directly to provide a history of fluctuations in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. To produce the most precise results, systematic cross-verification between proxy indicators is necessary for accuracy in readings and record-keeping.

Climate

Climate is the statistics (usually, mean or variability) of weather, usually over a 30-year interval. It is measured by assessing the patterns of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological variables in a given region over long periods of time. Climate differs from weather, in that weather only describes the short-term conditions of these variables in a given region.

A region's climate is generated by the climate system, which has five components: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.

The climate of a location is affected by its latitude, terrain, and altitude, as well as nearby water bodies and their currents. Climates can be classified according to the average and the typical ranges of different variables, most commonly temperature and precipitation. The most commonly used classification scheme was Köppen climate classification originally developed by Wladimir Köppen. The Thornthwaite system, in use since 1948, incorporates evapotranspiration along with temperature and precipitation information and is used in studying biological diversity and the potential effects on it of climate changes. The Bergeron and Spatial Synoptic Classification systems focus on the origin of air masses that define the climate of a region.

Climate as complex networks

The field of Complex Networks has emerged as an important area of science to generate novel insights into nature of complex systems. The application of the theory to Climate Science is a young and emerging field. , , , To identify and analyze patterns in global climate, scientists model the climate data as Complex Networks.

Unlike most of the real-world networks in which nodes and edges are well defined, nodes in climate networks are identified with the spatial grid points of underlying global climate data set, which is defined arbitrarily and can be represented at various resolutions. Two nodes are connected by an edge depending on the degree of statistical dependence between corresponding pairs of time-series taken from climate data, on the basis of similarity shared in climatic variability.,, The climate network approach enables novel insights into the dynamics of the climate system over many spatial scales., ,

Construction of Climate Networks

Depending upon the choice of nodes and/or edges, climate networks may take many different forms, shapes, sizes and complexities. Tsonis et al introduced the field of complex networks to climate. In their model, the nodes for the network were constituted by a single variable (500 hPa) from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis datasets. In order to estimate the edges between nodes, correlation coefficient at zero time lag between all possible pairs of nodes was estimated. A pair of nodes was considered to be connected, if their correlation coefficient is above a threshold of 0.5.

Climate categories in viticulture

In viticulture, the climates of wine regions are categorised based on the overall characteristics of the area's climate during the growing season. While variations in macroclimate are acknowledged, the climates of most wine regions are categorised (somewhat loosely based on the Köppen climate classification) as being part of a Mediterranean (for example Tuscany), maritime (ex: Bordeaux) or continental climate (ex: Columbia Valley). The majority of the world's premium wine production takes place in one of these three climate categories in locations between the 30th parallel and 50th parallel in both the northern and southern hemisphere. While viticulture does exist in some tropical climates, most notably Brazil, the amount of quality wine production in those areas is so small that the climate effect has not been as extensively studied as other categories.

Influence of climate on viticulture

Beyond establishing whether or not viticulture can even be sustained in an area, the climatic influences of a particular area goes a long way in influencing the type of grape varieties grown in a region and the type of viticultural practices that will be used. The presence of adequate sun, heat and water are all vital to the healthy growth and development of grapevines during the growing season. Additionally, continuing research has shed more light on the influence of dormancy that occurs after harvest when the grapevine essentially shuts down and reserves its energy for the beginning of the next year's growing cycle.

Proxy

A proxy is an agent or substitute authorized to act for another person or a document which authorizes the agent so to act, and may also be used in the following contexts:

Proxy (novel)

Proxy is a 2013 sci-fi, dystopian young adult novel by Alex London. The novel, which was released on June 18, 2013, features a gay adolescent as its action-hero protagonist. A sequel to the novel has been released in 2014, Guardian. The novel utilizes a third-person, subjective narration structure that alternates between Knox Brindle and Sydney Carton.

London states that he drew inspiration for Proxy from the 1987 book The Whipping Boy, "where the rich pay for the poor to take their punishments."

Plot

Setting

The book is set in a distant post-cataclysmic future where civilization has evolved its technology so rapidly through unrestricted capitalism to bring about a world where nearly every conceivable service can be purchased. Society has developed into a rigid class system where the Upper City lives in the height of luxury while the Lower City lives in utter poverty. As a result of the Lower City being infinitely indebted to the Upper City super corporations, the middle class has been eliminated altogether. Because of this debt, Upper City citizens can purchase the debts of someone from the Lower City. The wealthy patron will pay for the poorer person's essential needs and in return they serve as proxies to be punished whenever the rich patron either breaks the law, or needs their body for health purposes - e.g. donate blood or organs. However this system is seen as unfair, as the Lower City citizens assume this debt at birth and have no other feasible way to repay the debt. In addition any contact between the proxies and the patrons is outlawed. This injustice has brought about the existence of "The Rebooters", a rebel organization set on destroying this system by introducing "Jubilation", an idea that would erase debts, currency credits, and all digital data and records.

Proxy (film)

Proxy is a 2013 American horror film directed by Zack Parker. The movie had its world premiere on September 10, 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival. It stars Alexia Rasmussen as a pregnant young woman who joins a support group after she miscarries due to a vicious attack. The filmmakers describe Proxy as a spiritual successor to the horror film Rosemary's Baby, and its main character Esther Woodhouse is named after the earlier film's protagonist Rosemary Woodhouse.

Film rights to Proxy were picked up by IFC Midnight shortly after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Plot

While walking home from a doctor's appointment, the pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Alexia Rasmussen) is knocked unconscious by a person in a hoodie who hits her belly repeatedly with a brick. Despite the efforts of emergency room doctors, her baby is already dead when removed by Caesarian section. Noticing that Esther doesn't seem to have any friends or family (the baby was conceived via sperm bank), a social worker at the hospital forwards her to a support group for grieving parents.