Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux · Cary J. Mock Editors Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America 123 Editors Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux Dr.CaryJ.Mock University of Vermont University of South Carolina Department of Geography Department of Geography 94 University Place Columbia SC 29208 Burlington VT 05405-0114 USA USA
[email protected] [email protected] ISBN 978-90-481-2827-3 e-ISBN 978-90-481-2828-0 DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-2828-0 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009933459 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover illustration: (left) Rooftop Instruments on the Alaska Building, Seattle, Washington, between 1905 and 1911 (courtesy of Pemco Webster & Stevens Collection, Museum of History & Industry); (center) The logbook from the HMS Racoon in 1813, photo from The National Archives, U.K. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Preface When we decided to create Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America, we had several goals in mind. The first was to address a gap in the literature about the methods for and the value of using documentary data such as diaries and ships’ logs in augmenting and enriching the instrumental record dating back to the 1600s in North America.