Newspaper Reports Inwards Romania – What Produce They Tell Us Close Extreme Meteorological Events Of The Early On 19Th Century?

by Aritina Haliuc 

Sources of information

Extreme meteorological events, such equally droughts or floods, are expected to growth inwards many parts of the globe nether predicted climate changes of the adjacent decades (Fig. 1). Yet, the forecasted frequency, intensity in addition to occurrence of extreme meteorological events include large uncertainties equally they depend upon place in addition to season. These events are of especial involvement for gild equally they tin campaign of import human, economical in addition to environmental losses.

Fig. 1 Artistic depiction of a overflowing equally an trial of an extreme meteorological event, which is described equally short-lived in addition to unexpected atmospheric condition status inwards a given location.
Art credit: Thomas Hart Benson.

To amend sympathize extreme meteorological events in addition to to improve futurity meteorological forecasts, nosotros rely on information extracted from natural archives such equally tree rings, peat bogs, lakes in addition to fluvial deposits (associated amongst rivers in addition to streams). Natural archives render information over hundreds in addition to thousands of years dorsum inwards fourth dimension in addition to are complemented past times historical in addition to instrumental information inwards the to a greater extent than recent past times spanning few centuries. 

Fig. 2 Newspaper article describing the hail storm       
(300 grams’ weight) in Closani (Romania), which
killed animals in addition to wound several people (26th June
1886, Gazeta de Transilvania)
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a

Historical information include chronicles, monastery documents, ship logs, personal in addition to narrative documents, early on instrumental observations, in addition to newspapers, all of which render information useful for high-resolution climate reconstructions. Historical information are provided inwards a real descriptive means in addition to mightiness serve equally evidence for the severity of an extreme meteorological event. In South-Eastern Europe, such information is at acquaint much underexploited. Although non equally homogenous in addition to continuous equally natural records, historical information tin complement past times reconstructions based on natural archives in addition to stand upward for valuable information nigh human perceptions, reactions in addition to responses to historic extreme events.

Early 19th century extreme meteorological events

Together amongst Prof. Dr Sorin Cheval in addition to Dr Bogdan Antonescu, nosotros are collecting information nigh extreme meteorological events of the early on 19th century using paper reports from Romania. Our principal aim is to render evidence for the potential utility of such unexplored resources, mainly paper reports.

We focus on meteorological events of the early on 19th century because i) newspapers are available from unlike cities, increasing the spatial availability of reported events in addition to providing cross-validation for specific events; in addition to ii) few meteorological stations are available to validate the reported events. Considering the lean meteorological network of the early on 19th century, nosotros volition examination if these reports volition growth the availability of information across Romania in addition to if these information could hold out used to refine meteorological studies.

What information create nosotros human face for?

We are collecting information reported inwards Romanaian newspapers nigh meteorological extreme events similar extreme atmospheric precipitation in addition to temperatures, snow, hailstorm (Fig. 2), current of air storms (Fig. 3), thunder, lightning, floods, in addition to droughts. Weather information was issued on a daily in addition to weekly schedule, in addition to the events reported convey a precise place in addition to a daily or weekly-to-annual resolution. The events are in addition to then analysed for frequency, seasonality, spatial in addition to temporal extension, in addition to compared amongst the closest meteorological station in addition to other natural archive evidence. Once cross-checked, the collected events are stored inwards a database which volition hold out shortly available to the public.

Fig. three Newspaper article reporting the effects            
of strong current of air Brasov, 4th-5th  Dec 1886,            
Gazeta de Transilvania)             
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The database includes likewise information nigh other events similar earthquakes,  landslides, insect outbreaks, famine, illness (cholera, plague), in addition to loss of agricultural productivity. Although nosotros create non investigate these events, they mightiness back upward futurity interpretations in addition to mightiness hold out connected amongst other researchers’ work.

These newspapers mightiness hold out an of import root of information for other researchers interested inwards historical societal aspects including wellness (type of disease, location, reports on the number of people affected), cultural aspects (theatre, music), teaching (reports on schools in addition to scholars number), in addition to politics (a detailed description of the local in addition to regional political scene).

How far dorsum tin nosotros go?

Once the database volition hold out released, nosotros remember to extend our move farther inwards fourth dimension in addition to space, compiling information from older newspapers in addition to other historical sources from the nearby regions. However, equally nosotros motion farther from the to a greater extent than recent past, the clarity, resolution, in addition to details of extreme events mightiness decrease. We believe this move is a necessity equally it volition complement the available reconstruction based on natural archives from Romania.

We invite researchers who are interested inwards this discipline to contact us to utter over potential futurity collaborations.



Aritina Haliuc, PhD 
(with back upward from S. Cheval^1,2,3 in addition to B. Antonescu⁴)
Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest

(1) “Henri Coanda” Air Force Academy, Brașov, Romania (2) National Meteorological Administration, Bucharest, Romania (3) Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (4) National Institute for Research in addition to Development inwards Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Romania


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Reference:

[1] Seneviratne, S.I., N. Nicholls, D. Easterling, C.M. Goodess, S. Kanae, J. Kossin, Y. Luo, J. Marengo, K. McInnes, M. Rahimi, M. Reichstein, A. Sorteberg, C. Vera, in addition to X. Zhang, 2012: Changes inwards climate extremes in addition to their impacts on the natural physical environment. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events in addition to Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, in addition to P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of Working Groups I in addition to II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, in addition to New York, NY, USA, pp. 109-230.