Reconstruction of solar radiation based on historical weather records in Japan - The cold summers which brought severe famine in 19th century -
Abstract
Many diaries in Japan include records of daily weather conditions ("fine", "cloudy", "rainy", etc.). Ichino et al. (2001, Tenki, 48, 823-830. in Japanese) developed a method to estimate global solar radiation from weather conditions.
Tempo Famine occured in 1833-1839. Its main cause was failure of crop because of cold summers. However little is known about detailed climatic fluctuation during the period. We estimate monthly mean global solar radiation from 1821 to 1850 based on the diaries at 11 locations in Japan. We discuss that seasonal climatic conditions and their interannual and subseasonal fluctuation. In 1836, when the situation of famine was most terrible, monthly solar radiation in summer (May to September) in the east-west zone of Japan including Kanto, Kinki, and northern Kyushu was smaller than the provisional normal (average of 1821-1850). It was much smaller than the normal in July and August. However, it was not particularly small in Tohoku to the north of the zone and in southern Kyushu to the south of the zone. It is suggested that remnants of Baiu front stayed until August. The values in other seasons in the above-mentioned zone were not small either. The situation in 1833 was different. Then, solar radiation in summer in Tohoku was smaller than normal. Figure shows spatial distribution of reconstructed monthly mean solar radiation in August in 1833 and 1836.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMPP11C1400I
- Keywords:
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- 1105 Quaternary geochronology;
- GEOCHRONOLOGY;
- 1605 Abrupt/rapid climate change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 1616 Climate variability;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 4313 Extreme events;
- NATURAL HAZARDS