The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

Blogger Tips and Tricks

This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

La Nina compared to El Nino in Australia....[ 2684 ]

La Nina ~ More Wet Australian Summers to Come

Posted by Linda Lin on Jan 27, 2011 //nature.com

-

If you've wondered what's with all the massive floods this year and last year (Australia, Brazil, Pakistan etc.), well, La Nina, Spanish for "the girl", is to blame. It is a climate event and counterpart to El Nino, "the boy". Opposite and sometimes following "him", La Nina is characterized by a colder surface temperature in the oceans, by about 3-5 degree celsius.

-

The cold can mix in with a cloudier atmosphere and higher winds, resulting in a change in weather patterns in the Pacific (if you're in the north, you can look forward to some extra cold spells this winter). For us in the southern hemisphere, this translates to a rise in tropical storms, copious rainfall and lower temperatures during the summer. 2010 has had record highs in precipitation across Australia, and this isn't going to change.

-

At best, it will die down by autumn in April, only to return for a few more summer in the years to come.

ross river flood.jpg

(flikr CC, Queensland floods by robandstephanielevy)
-

Perhaps it's connected to global warming, some speculate that higher world temperatures can enhance a climatic event. Not a good deal of studies are available on La Nina compared to El Nino, but it is a natural phenomenon. In the past, there have been 4 strong La Nina events in Australia. The last one was in 1988-89. This was followed by droughts, which typically is what El Nino brings to these parts.

-

It's been interesting to see the local effects of the wet summer, here in Canberra. Allergies have been more intense for everyone this season, because flowers are happier with more rain. There's more bugs and spiders around, and Australian spiders can get pretty big and hairy. Animals are noticeably more fertile as well.

-

I swear there's been a spike in the population of feral rabbits around Canberra. And nearly everyone's seen a pair of ducks with a brood of 14 ducklings around the ANU.

-
From the Australian Bureau of Meterology
-

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)