The relationships between teleconnection patterns the Pacific/North American (PNA) index, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—and lake-effect snowfall are examined. Bivariate and partial correlations are used over seasonal and semi-seasonal periods for stations within the Lake Erie snowbelt to link teleconnection phases to snowfall increases. Significant negative correlations were seen throughout the entire winter between NAO and snowfall. Relationships between PNA and ENSO on snowfall were less evident, with significant correlations during the mid-winter months between a positive PNA and snowfall and significant correlations during the late winter in the western zone between a negative ENSO and snowfall. / Department of Geography

The impact of climate on fisheries resources has become a focal point for fisheries research. The objective of this thesis is to describe different aspects of the impact of teleconnections on marine ecosystems within the Mediterranean. Chapter I describes interactions between teleconnection patterns and oceanic variability in the Mediterranean. Atmospheric variability over the Atlantic and Eurasian sector forces oceanic circulation in the western Mediterranean, by altering the route of Atlantic storm tracks. The Indian monsoons are found to be related to gyre and upwelling formations in the eastern Mediterranean. Important links between the Mediterranean Oscillation and hemispheric circulation are also discussed. Chapter II studies the impact of atmospheric and oceanic forcing on the spatiotemporal distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration in the Mediterranean. A number of teleconnection indices with an important role in determining chlorophyll-a concentration are identified, especially for coastal areas, upwellings and gyres. Chapter III has an exploratory nature, with common trends in the landings of 41 fish species from the eastern Mediterranean identified and compared to fishing effort or large-scale environmental drivers. Teleconnections over the Atlantic or El Nino-related teleconnections, filtered by local SST and wind variability, are highlighted as driving forces behind some of the observed common landing trends. Chapter IV focuses on the biological complex of two commercial species, anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus). The results suggest that the West African Summer Monsoon, the East Atlantic Jet and the Pacific North American teleconnection patterns have a consistent correlation with anchovy and sardine distribution and abundance. Relationships between oceanic circulation in the Mediterranean and atmospheric variability over the neighbouring oceanic and continental masses were described and linked to biological variability. Oceanic structures that interrupt the oligotrophic regime of the area are affected by teleconnection patterns and in turn they influence fisheries productivity. Interactions between teleconnection patterns and fisheries can explain a large proportion of the observed fluctuations in marine resources and synchronicity between species and locations. The processes modulating the effects of climatic forcing vary at fine spatiotemporal scales, the different characteristics and habitat requirements of the species and interactions between the species. Further research is essential in order to delineate these effects and improve the management of marine resources in the persistently over-exploited environment of the Mediterranean Sea.

Widespread droughts can have a significant impact on western United States streamflow, but the causes of these events are not fully understood. This dissertation examines streamflow from multiple western US basins and establishes the robust, leading modes of variability in interannual streamflow throughout the past century. I show that approximately 50% of this variability is associated with spatially widespread streamflow anomalies that are statistically independent from streamflow's response to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO-teleconnection accounts for approximately 25% of the interannual variability in streamflow, across this network. These atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the most spatially widespread variability are associated with the Aleutian low and the persistent coastal atmospheric ridge in the Pacific Northwest. I use a watershed segmentation algorithm to explicitly track the position and intensity of these features and compare their variability to the multi-basin streamflow variability. Results show that latitudinal shifts in the coastal atmospheric ridge are more strongly associated with streamflow's north-south dipole response to ENSO variability while more spatially widespread anomalies in streamflow most strongly relate to seasonal changes in the coastal ridge intensity. This likely reflects persistent coastal ridge blocking of cool-season precipitation into western US river basins. I utilize the 35 model runs of the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESMLE) to determine whether the model ensemble simulates the anomalously strong coastal ridges and extreme widespread wintertime precipitation anomalies found in the observation record. Though there is considerable bias in the CESMLE, the CESMLE runs simulate extremely widespread dry precipitation anomalies with a frequency of approximately one extreme event per century during the historical simulations (1920 - 2005). These extremely widespread dry events correspond significantly with anomalously intense coastal atmospheric ridges. The results from these three papers connect widespread interannual streamflow anomalies in the western US - and especially extremely widespread streamflow droughts - with semi-permanent atmospheric ridge anomalies near the coastal Pacific Northwest. This is important to western US water managers because these widespread events appear to have been a robust feature of the past century. The semi-permanent atmospheric features associated with these widespread dry streamflow anomalies are projected to change position significantly in the next century as a response to global climate change. This may change widespread streamflow anomaly characteristic in the western US, though my results do not show evidence of these changes within the instrument record of last century.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

In this thesis, I focused on numerical modelling of groundwater flow in the vicinity of groundwater circulation well (GCW). The thesis can be devided to two parts. In the first one, I created a simple numerical model of GCW. I used a cylindrical flow domain because of the radial symmetry of the problem. The task was to find out which parameters have the biggest influence on groundwater flow. It was found that the hydrogeological settings and hydraulic properties have more considerable effect on GW flow than the well construction parameters. Distance between the well screens is the only important construction parameter, other parameters can be neglected. However, we cannot neglect the influence of hydraulic properties of the porous medium. Considering the radius of influence of GCW, the presence of aquitards and anisotropy of layers affect the groundwater flow around the well seriously. These two parameters cause the extension of the radius of influence, which leads to a longer path of the particle of water. The travel time of particles increases too this slows down the remediation. A big influence has also an intensity of natural groundwater flow in the area because it decreases the radius of influence of the well. In the second part I created a numerical model of pilot site Velká Hleďsebe to investigate...

This thesis work started as an attempt to create a computational tool to model hydrodynamics problems involving lifting flows. The method employed to solve the problem is potential flow theory. Despite the fast evolution of computers and the latest developments in Navier-Stokes solvers, such as the Ranse methods; potential flow theory offers the possibility to create or use existing computational tools, which allow us modeling hydrodynamics problems in a simpler manner. Navier-Stokes solver can be very expensive from the computational point of view, and require a high level of expertise in order to achieve reliable models. Based on the above, we have developed a lifting flow modeling tool that we hope can serve as the starting point of a more elaborated method, and a valuable alternative, for the solution of different hydrodynamics problems. Key words highlighting important concepts related to this thesis work are: Vortex, circulation, potential flow, panel methods, Sources, doublets.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersraild, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Science. / Six general circulation model simulations of present-day southern African climate are assessed, Each of these models are early-generation equilibrium climate models linked to simple mixed-slab oceans. Simulations of surface air temperature over the subcontinent are sensitive to the grid-scale parameterisation of convection in summer. At high latitudes, large simulation errors are caused by errors in the specification of sea-ice albedo feedbacks. Increased spatial resolution and the inclusion of a gravity wave drag term in the momentum equations results in a markedly-improved simulated mean sea level pressure distribution. Tho models successfully simulate the pattern of rainfall seasonality over the Subcontinent, although grid-point simulation of precipitation is unreliable. Treatment of convection, cloud radiative feedbacks and the oceans by this generation of models is simplistic, and consequently there is a large degree of uncertainty associated with predictions of future climate under doubled-carbon dioxide conditions. For this reason, more reliable estimates of future conditions will be achieved using only those models which reproduce present climate most accurately. Early-generation general circulation models suggest a warming of 4°C to 5°C for the southern African region as a whole throughout the year. Over the subcontinent, warming is expected to be least in the tropics, and greatest in the dry subtropical regions in winter. Estimated changes in mean sea level pressure indicate a southward shlft of all pressure systems, with a weakening of the subtropical high pressure belt and mid-latitude westerlies. Little agreement exists between the models concerning predictions of regional precipitation change. However, broad scale changes in precipitation patterns are in accordance with predicted circulation changes over the subcontinent. Generally wetter conditions may be expected in the tropics throughout the year and over the summer rainfall region during summer. Decreased winter rainfall may be expected over the winter rainfall region of the south-western Cape. However, estimated precipitation changes are grid-point specific and therefore must riot be over-interpreted. The present climate validation has resulted in more reliable estimates of future conditions for the southern African region. This approach should be extended to recent slrnulations which include more comprehensive treatment of important physical processes. / Andrew Chakane 2018

Issuance of money by the central bank and its prospect after accession to the European Monetary Union (abstract) The presented thesis analyzes the problems of issuance of money by the Central Bank in the Czech Republic. The issuance of money is analyzed particularly from the viewpoint of its legal regulation but attention is also paid to its practical implementation in the official practice of our Central Bank. The aim of the thesis is to comprehensively elaborate substantial part of the legal regulation in this area. Attention is paid particularly to applicable legal regulation but also to regulations that have been repealed in the period from establishment of the Czech Republic to the present time. This area of our day to day life has not been frequently explored and there is only minimum related financial-law literature. This, on the other hand, provides more space for the analysis of little known information from official practice. The first part of the thesis provides an overview of the history of issuance of money in our territory after 1918. Initially, it deals with the Austro-Hungarian crown currency and its banknotes and coins that had been circulating in this country after the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state. It further analyzes the development of cash circulation of the...

Thesis advisor: Gail Kineke / The Penobscot River Estuary is heavily contaminated with mercury; previous studies indicate maximum mercury concentrations of 4.6 ppm within the Frankfort Flats reach. The transport and trapping of this contaminant is linked to the transport and trapping of fine sediment within the estuary. Hydrographic and flow measurements, coupled with a spatial and temporal characterization of the bottom sediments, were performed during and following the freshet in 2010 to determine the mechanisms driving sediment transport and trapping within the estuary. The Penobscot River likely has a turbidity maximum associated with the landward extent of the salinity intrusion that is positioned over the Frankfort Flats reach during average discharge and tidal conditions. This turbidity maximum may be responsible for a patch of fine sediments in the Frankfort Flats reach in an otherwise coarse-grained bed. Additional transport and trapping of fine sediments within this reach is the result of secondary circulation driven by centripetal acceleration around meanders in the channel. Close proximity of meanders at Frankfort Flats, within ~5 km, creates opposite secondary circulation of magnitude ~0.2 m/s during flood and ebb conditions. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Geology & Geophysics Honors Program. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences.