71 research outputs found
The Hong Kong Convention on the recycling of ships
No full textThe newly agreed Hong Kong Convention on the Recycling of Ships (‘‘SRC’’) isa contribution to the effort of ensuring safety for the workforce and theenvironmental recycling of ships. The contributions of the new Conventioninclude a documentary system for the presence of hazardous materials on boardnew ships, the development of a certificate for ships ready to be recycled and anauthorisation system for recycling facilities. The system under the new Conventionis planned to apply equally to developed and developing Contracting States.This is at least partly in contradiction to the Basel Convention on theTransboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes 1989, which imposes heavierobligations on developed states. Whether the new Convention is consistent withthe Basel Convention and could replace it in respect of the recycling of ships isdiscussed. Efforts to improve on the situation on the basis of contractualarrangements, as well as potential conflicts under international trade law, arealso considered.<br/
An intercomparison of global oceanic precipitation climatologies
No full textLarge-scale patterns of precipitation are important for the changes they may effect upon the circulation of the ocean. However, marine precipitation is very hard to quantify accurately. Four independent climatologies are examined to compare their estimates of the annual mean precipitation, and the seasonal and interannual variations. One data set, Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), is based upon satellite data, the other three on output of weather forecast reanalyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Although all datasets have their errors, there is general agreement on the geographical patterns of precipitation. All the models had higher rain rates in the tropics than shown by the satellite data, and also greater seasonal ranges. However, GPCP has 10-25% more precipitation than NCEP and ECMWF in most of the southern regions, because of their weak representation of convergence zones; NCEP2, a more recent version of the NCEP reanalysis, shows a marked improvement in this area. However, in most regions NCEP2 exhibits a larger seasonal range than shown by other datasets, particularly for the tropical Pacific. Both NCEP and NCEP2 often show a seasonal cycle lagging two months or more behind GPCP. Of the three reanalysis climatologies, ECMWF appears best at realising the position and migration of rain features. The interannual variations are correlated between all four datasets, however the correlation coefficient is only large for regions that have a strong response to El Niño and La Niña event, or for comparisons of the two NCEP reanalyses. Of the datasets evaluated, GPCP has the most internal consistency, with no long-term trend in its regional averages, and it alone shows the deficit in Mediterranean precipitation coincident with the Eastern Mediterranean Transient
The effect of European regulations on the jurisdiction and applicable law for Limitation of Liability proceedings
No full textThis paper discusses jurisdiction and applicable law in limitation proceedings. It is argued that limitation proceedings can be categorised into, at least, three separate groups: proceedings determining the right to limit liability itself; proceedings concerning the establishment of the limitation fund; and proceedings for the release of secured assets after a limitation fund has been established. The analysis of the three limitation conventions supports such distinction and suggests that the 1996 LLMC Convention does not contain jurisdictional rules in respect of the first category but contains jurisdictional rules in respect of the establishment of the limitation fund. These rules are not uniform between Contracting States and are discretionary in character. Accordingly, we conclude that the jurisdictional arrangements contained in the international conventions are too weak and unclear to override, by virtue of Article 71, the other jurisdictional provisions of Brussels I. The law applicable to limitation of liability with respect to non-contractual obligations under the operation of the Rome II Regulation is also discussed. The English law position that the law applicable was that of the forum appears to have been changed by Rome II. We conclude that the operation of the international limitation regimes is likely to be disrupte
Sea level in the Mediterranean Sea: the contribution of temperature and salinity changes
No full textThe 18.6 yr nodal modulation in the tides of Southern European Coasts
No full textThe nodal modulation of the diurnal (K1 and O1) and semi-diurnal (M2, and K2) tidal constituents at the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic is estimated and its spatial variability mapped. Fourteen hourly tide gauge records each spanning more than 18 years are considered in this analysis. Ten tide gauges are located in the Mediterranean Sea and four in the Bay of Biscay. The nodal modulation of the most energetic tidal constituent (M2) reaches up to 5 cm at the eastern Atlantic coasts, while within the Mediterranean Sea its modulation is in general less than 1.2 cm. The largest K2 nodal modulation found is 3.7 cm in the eastern Atlantic coasts. In the Mediterranean Sea, smaller modulation amplitudes, ranging between 0.4 and 1.4 cm are found. The K1 tide constituent has the largest amplitude nodal modulation within the Mediterranean Sea of 1.9 cm in the north Adriatic Sea, which is also larger than the modulation of this constituent at the eastern Atlantic coasts. The O1 tide constituent has the highest amplitude nodal modulation (1.4 cm) at the eastern Atlantic coasts. In the Mediterranean Sea the maximum value is 1 cm in the north Adriatic Sea.The derived nodal modulations of the diurnal and semi-diurnal constituents follow, in general, the equilibrium tidal theory. The tidal amplitudes for all four components do not indicate significant secular trends for most tide gauges. The tidal phases indicate significant negative trends for all four tidal constituents within the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea.<br/
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