A influência orográfica desempenhada pela Serra do Mar é um dos mais característicos fenômenos climáticos do Estado de São Paulo. A configuração do obstáculo e a atuação dos sistemas atmosféricos são responsáveis por totais de precipitação que se encontram entre os mais elevados do território brasileiro. Contudo, a análise isolada dos controles climáticos mostra-se insuficiente para a caracterização do fenômeno da intensificação das precipitações orográficas nesta área, sendo que tal análise só pode ser feita através da relação entre os controles estáticos como o posicionamento das vertentes da escarpa da Serra do Mar, e os dinâmicos, os sistemas atmosféricos frontais. A análise de uma série de eventos de precipitação distribuídos pelas estações do ano e pela intensidade e duração, mostra a influência da orografia ao promover totais de precipitação muito superiores nos postos situados na zona de baixada, nas vertentes oceânicas e no alto da serra do que naqueles situados em direção ao interior, menos expostos aos ventos úmidos do oceano. / The orographic influency performed by Serra do Mar is one of the most characteristics climatics phenomena from São Paulo State.The configuration of the obstacle and the atmospherics systems atuation are responsable for the total rainfall which has been found more elevated in brazilian territory. Although, the isolated analysis of the climatic controls show itself not enough for the characterization of the intensification phenomena by the orographics rainfalls on this area, such analysis only can be done through the relation among the statics controls, or this means, the position of the Serra do Mar, and the dynamics, atmospherics systems which acting differently in the brazilian territory during the seasons of the year. The analysis of the selected events by the criterion of the seasons of the year and the criterion of intensity and duration are showed in a unquestionable way the formation of the elevated rainfall in areas exposed by wet winds from the ocean like in the Baixada Santista and in the higher slopes than in areas situated in direction to São Paulo State contryside which are composed by areas of rain shadow.

A influência orográfica desempenhada pela Serra do Mar é um dos mais característicos fenômenos climáticos do Estado de São Paulo. A configuração do obstáculo e a atuação dos sistemas atmosféricos são responsáveis por totais de precipitação que se encontram entre os mais elevados do território brasileiro. Contudo, a análise isolada dos controles climáticos mostra-se insuficiente para a caracterização do fenômeno da intensificação das precipitações orográficas nesta área, sendo que tal análise só pode ser feita através da relação entre os controles estáticos como o posicionamento das vertentes da escarpa da Serra do Mar, e os dinâmicos, os sistemas atmosféricos frontais. A análise de uma série de eventos de precipitação distribuídos pelas estações do ano e pela intensidade e duração, mostra a influência da orografia ao promover totais de precipitação muito superiores nos postos situados na zona de baixada, nas vertentes oceânicas e no alto da serra do que naqueles situados em direção ao interior, menos expostos aos ventos úmidos do oceano. / The orographic influency performed by Serra do Mar is one of the most characteristics climatics phenomena from São Paulo State.The configuration of the obstacle and the atmospherics systems atuation are responsable for the total rainfall which has been found more elevated in brazilian territory. Although, the isolated analysis of the climatic controls show itself not enough for the characterization of the intensification phenomena by the orographics rainfalls on this area, such analysis only can be done through the relation among the statics controls, or this means, the position of the Serra do Mar, and the dynamics, atmospherics systems which acting differently in the brazilian territory during the seasons of the year. The analysis of the selected events by the criterion of the seasons of the year and the criterion of intensity and duration are showed in a unquestionable way the formation of the elevated rainfall in areas exposed by wet winds from the ocean like in the Baixada Santista and in the higher slopes than in areas situated in direction to São Paulo State contryside which are composed by areas of rain shadow.

East Asian Paleogene climates have long been regarded as controlled by the planetary wind system, which might result in a climate pattern with three latitudinally distributed zones. Two humid zones located separately in the north and south were lithologically designated by coals and oil shales, while an arid zone in the middle was represented by red beds and evaporites. Because the middle arid zone was located along ~. 30° N paleolatitude, its presence had been further linked with a then subtropical high. However, this long-standing model has recently been challenged by growing evidence from petrology, sedimentology, paleontology, paleobiogeography, paleoclimatology, and climate modeling. Here we review the primary data from these disciplines and reinterpret their climate significances to revisit the East Asian climate pattern during the Paleogene. Petrologically, while the occurrence of coals and/or oil shales is accepted as an indicator for overall humid climates, that of red beds and/or evaporites is highly equivocal to exclusively indicate perennial arid climates unless their origins are carefully investigated. In reality, generic red beds merely represent an oxidizing environment, not essentially associated with a single specific climate type. Meanwhile evaporites, although typically precipitated in arid environments, may be deposited in either perennial dry or seasonal/monsoonal climates. There is no solid evidence so far to convincingly support that the landscape of the so-called middle arid zone was dominated by desert and/or steppe under a then subtropical high during most of the Paleogene. The plant function type study additionally suggests that the "middle arid zone" appears to be lack of xerophytic vegetation, even though some xerophytic or sclerophyllous plant taxa did sporadically occur. Interestingly, paleozoological data show that the Paleogene mammalian faunas were somewhat equably distributed over East Asia, strongly suggesting the evident absence of a critical biogeographical or climatic barrier stretched across the "middle arid zone" as the planetary wind model implied. In contrast to the planetary wind model, monsoonal or monsoon-like Paleogene climates have been broadly reported from the northern, middle, and southern East Asia, as well as adjacent regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. If only the indicators for humid climates are considered, simply due to the uncertainty of those for perennial arid climates, East Asia must have had a relatively dry region in the continental interior during the late Eocene to Oligocene transition, likely caused by the continentality and/or the rain shadow effect along with the global cooling. The monsoonal interpretation is highly in agreement with the evidence from floras, faunas, basin analyses, and modeling experiments, and well explicates the Paleogene climate distribution and seasonal dynamics of East Asia. However, further studies will be largely needed to verify whether, uniformly according to the modern criteria, the Paleogene climates of the East Asia interior can be accurately attributed to the arid category.

Com o intuito de se avaliar as diferenças pluviométricas nas vertentes continental e oceânica da Ilha de São Sebastião (Ilhabela - SP) para validação da ocorrência do efeito orográfico, foram instalados ao longo da Estrada de Castelhanos um conjunto de treze pluviômetros experimentais. Os totais mensais, obtidos no ano hidrológico 2004/2005, foram correlacionados, de forma geral, a outros postos pluviométricos da região, às altitudes diversas e à atuação das correntes de sudeste (predominantes). Os resultados apontam para o relevo como responsável por interferir no ritmo pluvial da região, claramente diferenciado na ilha e na distribuição espacial da chuva local. A vertente continental apresenta, em média, 20% menos chuva que a vertente oceânica a barlavento, o que caracteriza a sombra de chuva. Na vertente oceânica, verificou-se intensificação e aumento das quantidades de chuva a partir dos 300m de altitude. O total mensal máximo foi observado a 600m de altitude (708,5mm, em março/2005). Também foi calculado o gradiente pluviométrico em função do relevo que apresenta, em média, o acréscimo de 2,5mm de chuva a cada metro de altitude. / In order to provide data for the evaluation of rainfall differences on the continental and sea slopes of São Sebastião Island (Ilhabela - SP) and to validate the occurrence of orographic effect, a set of 13 experimental rain gauges were installed throughout the Estrada de Castelhanos. The monthly totals from the 2004/2005 hydrological year were compared to other rainfall data recording posts, to different altitudes and to (predominant) southeastern currents. The results show topography as an agent interfering with the regional precipitation rhythm, clearly distinct in the island and in the spatial distribution of the local rain. The continental slope presents, in average, 20% less rain than the windward sea slope, which characterizes the rain shadow. In the sea slope, intensification and increase of the rainfall begins at 300m. The maximum monthly totals were observed at 600 m altitude (708.5mm, in march/2005).

Com o intuito de se avaliar as diferenças pluviométricas nas vertentes continental e oceânica da Ilha de São Sebastião (Ilhabela - SP) para validação da ocorrência do efeito orográfico, foram instalados ao longo da Estrada de Castelhanos um conjunto de treze pluviômetros experimentais. Os totais mensais, obtidos no ano hidrológico 2004/2005, foram correlacionados, de forma geral, a outros postos pluviométricos da região, às altitudes diversas e à atuação das correntes de sudeste (predominantes). Os resultados apontam para o relevo como responsável por interferir no ritmo pluvial da região, claramente diferenciado na ilha e na distribuição espacial da chuva local. A vertente continental apresenta, em média, 20% menos chuva que a vertente oceânica a barlavento, o que caracteriza a sombra de chuva. Na vertente oceânica, verificou-se intensificação e aumento das quantidades de chuva a partir dos 300m de altitude. O total mensal máximo foi observado a 600m de altitude (708,5mm, em março/2005). Também foi calculado o gradiente pluviométrico em função do relevo que apresenta, em média, o acréscimo de 2,5mm de chuva a cada metro de altitude. / In order to provide data for the evaluation of rainfall differences on the continental and sea slopes of São Sebastião Island (Ilhabela - SP) and to validate the occurrence of orographic effect, a set of 13 experimental rain gauges were installed throughout the Estrada de Castelhanos. The monthly totals from the 2004/2005 hydrological year were compared to other rainfall data recording posts, to different altitudes and to (predominant) southeastern currents. The results show topography as an agent interfering with the regional precipitation rhythm, clearly distinct in the island and in the spatial distribution of the local rain. The continental slope presents, in average, 20% less rain than the windward sea slope, which characterizes the rain shadow. In the sea slope, intensification and increase of the rainfall begins at 300m. The maximum monthly totals were observed at 600 m altitude (708.5mm, in march/2005).

This thesis is a multi-disciplinary survey of the Central Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age (1500-1200 BC) illustrated with an abundant use of maps and tables. The purpose is to determine how the Jordan Valley functioned as an economic unit during the Late Bronze Age. This thesis surveys the geographical, historical and archaeological records related to the Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. A chapter is devoted to each field, geography (physical and human), history (Egyptian and Hebrew Bible) and archaeology. The data from each discipline is used to individually answer two questions: 1) was the Jordan Valley a single geographic/economic unit in the Late Bronze Age? 2) to what extent was the Jordan Valley integrated/interacting with the east-west highlands and the larger region in the Late Bronze Age? The primary objectives are to 1) explore and model a historical geographic hermeneutic for understanding the human experience of the Ancient Near East; and 2) lay a foundation for understanding the role of the Jordan Valley in affecting the Biblical periods of the Israelite monarchy to the Roman period.The answers from each chapter are then synthesized into a single geographic historical archaeological picture of the Central Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. The Central Jordan Valley was divided into two sections: a fertile, populated, well connected north-central section and an isolated, sparsely populated southern section with limited agricultural zones. Trade with and between the eastern and western highlands is well represented by artifactual parallels in and through the Jordan Valley, the north-central section on a regional and international scale and the southern section on a more local scale. The thesis concludes that there are more artifactual points of connection between the Jordan Valley and the eastern highlands than with the western highlands. An ‘early conquest’ model of the Hebrew Bible is plausible within the historical records of the Egyptian 18th and 19th Dynasties and the geographical and archaeological records of the Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. / Old Testament & Ancient Near Eastern Studies

This thesis is a multi-disciplinary survey of the Central Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age (1500-1200 BC) illustrated with an abundant use of maps and tables. The purpose is to determine how the Jordan Valley functioned as an economic unit during the Late Bronze Age. This thesis surveys the geographical, historical and archaeological records related to the Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. A chapter is devoted to each field, geography (physical and human), history (Egyptian and Hebrew Bible) and archaeology. The data from each discipline is used to individually answer two questions: 1) was the Jordan Valley a single geographic/economic unit in the Late Bronze Age? 2) to what extent was the Jordan Valley integrated/interacting with the east-west highlands and the larger region in the Late Bronze Age? The primary objectives are to 1) explore and model a historical geographic hermeneutic for understanding the human experience of the Ancient Near East; and 2) lay a foundation for understanding the role of the Jordan Valley in affecting the Biblical periods of the Israelite monarchy to the Roman period.The answers from each chapter are then synthesized into a single geographic historical archaeological picture of the Central Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. The Central Jordan Valley was divided into two sections: a fertile, populated, well connected north-central section and an isolated, sparsely populated southern section with limited agricultural zones. Trade with and between the eastern and western highlands is well represented by artifactual parallels in and through the Jordan Valley, the north-central section on a regional and international scale and the southern section on a more local scale. The thesis concludes that there are more artifactual points of connection between the Jordan Valley and the eastern highlands than with the western highlands. An ‘early conquest’ model of the Hebrew Bible is plausible within the historical records of the Egyptian 18th and 19th Dynasties and the geographical and archaeological records of the Jordan Valley during the Late Bronze Age. / Biblical and Ancient Studies