|
Arabic writings clue in scientists on past climate
Monday February 27, 2012 01:51:59 PM,
IANS
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
Contribution of Muslims in the field
of Science and Technology Part - 4:
Abu
Marwan Abdal Malik Ibn Zuhr: ‘Avenzoar’
Abu Marwan Abdal Malik Ibn Zuhr,
known in the west as Avenzoar, was born in Seville in 1094 CE. He
received his education at the University of Cordoba, specializing
in medicine.
»
Contribution of Muslims in the field
of Science and Technology Part - 3:
Ibn
Rushd: (Averroes) - (1126—1198) - Great Philosopher
Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn
Rushd,
better known in the Latin West as Averroes or Ibn Roschd,
lived during a unique period in Western intellectual history, in
»
Contribution of Muslims in the field
of Science and Technology Part - 2:
Ibn Sina
(Avicenna) - Doctor of doctors
Ibn Sina was born in 980 C.E. in the
village of Afshana near Bukhara which today is located in the far
south of Russia
»
Contribution of Muslims in the field
of Science and Technology Part - I:
Jabir Ibn Haiyyan - 'GEBER'
Geber, aka Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan,
was a prominent Islamic alchemist, pharmacist, philosopher,
astronomer, and physicist. He has also been referred
»
|
Madrid: Ancient Arabic
manuscripts are providing valuable meteorological insights to help
scientists reconstruct past climate, a study reveals.
Scientists from the Universidad de Extremadura, Spain, have turned
to Arabic documentary sources from the 9th and 10th centuries (3rd
and 4th in the Islamic calendar) to analyse the writings of
scholars, historians and diarists in Iraq.
"Climate information recovered from these ancient sources mainly
refers to extreme events which impacted wider society such as
droughts and floods," said Fernando Dominguez-Castro, who led the
study, from Extremadura.
"However, they also document conditions which were rarely
experienced in ancient Baghdad such as hailstorms, the freezing of
rivers or even cases of snow," added Dominguez-Castro, according
to a university statement.
Baghdad was a centre for trade, commerce and science in the
ancient Islamic world. In 891 AD Berber geographer al-Ya'qubi
wrote that the city had no rival in the world, with hot summers
and cold winters, climatic conditions which favored strong
agriculture.
While Baghdad was a cultural and scientific hub, many ancient
documents have been lost to a history of invasions and civil
strife. However, from the surviving works of writers including al-Tabari
(913 AD), Ibn al-Athir (1233 AD) and al-Suyuti (1505 AD) some
meteorological information can be rescued.
When collated and analysed the manuscripts revealed an increase of
cold events in the first half of the 10th century. This included a
significant drop of temperatures during July 920 AD and three
separate recordings of snowfall -- in 908, 944 and 1007.
In comparison the only record of snow in modern Baghdad was in
2008, a unique experience in the living memories of Iraqis.
"These signs of a sudden cold period confirm suggestions of a
temperature drop during the tenth century, immediately before the
Medieval Warm Period," said Dominguez-Castro.
"We believe the drop in July 920 AD may have been linked to a
great volcanic eruption but more work would be necessary to
confirm this idea," he added.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
 Politics of hatred has triumphed in Gujarat: Harsh Mander
The story
of Gujarat is more about the triumph of politics of hatred,
symbolised by Chief Minister Narendra Modi
»
When we stood with pickaxes in Vadodara
Indian American Muslims mourn Gujarat victims, demand justice
‘Vibrant
Gujarat has left the state’s Muslims in an economic ghetto'
|
|
|
|
Most Read |
|
 'Face' of Gujarat riots to launch Mumbai protest initiative
Qutubuddin
Ansari, the famous 'face' of the 2002 Gujarat riots, will exhort
Indians to mark as a black day the 10th anniversary of the carnage
»
A decade of Gujarat Carnage 2002
|
|
Kejriwal's 'rapist-MPs' remark draws Congress,
BJP ire
The
Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday slammed Team
Anna member Arvind Kejriwal for his "outrageous" remarks that
"rapists, murderers and looters" were sitting in the Indian
parliament.
Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said Kejriwal had insulted
parliament and
» |
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
Consult minorities on NCTC: Sikh group
After
objections raised by chief ministers of some states against the
proposed anti-terror hub, a Sikh organisation Sunday demanded that
minorities and civil liberty organizations also be consulted
before the new
» |
|
Weavers' woes: Government packages pass them by
Ali Husain
Ansari, a weaver of embroidered Mughal textiles and owner of Abdul
Ghani Silk in Varanasi town of northern India, says he has not
benefited from the government's financial package for weavers
announced
» |
|
Iran's nuclear bomb: US agencies believe there is no evidence
While the
UN nuclear watchdog has reported that Iran has accelerated its
uranium enrichment programme, the US intelligence analysts believe
there is no hard evidence of the Islamic Republic
» |
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
presenting a memento to the President of Rotary International
Kalyan Banerjee at the inauguration of the Polio Summit 2012,
in New Delhi on February 25, 2012. Union Minister for Health
and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and Minister of State for
Health and Family Welfare Sudip Bandyopadhyay are also seen.
(Photo: Asish
Maitra) |
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links