In ancient times, the dragon was a symbol of power, fear, and mystery. Legends speak of these enormous creatures wreaking havoc on villages and towns, devouring livestock and even humans. Consequently, brave warriors emerged as dragon slayers, feared by both the dragons and the people. However, defeating a dragon came with a heavy price. It is said that slaying a dragon invoked an ancient curse that haunted dragon slayers for the rest of their lives. The ancient curse of the dragon slayer was not a physical affliction, but rather a psychological burden that plagued their minds.
This page contains archived content and is no longer being updated. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science.
He must have been thinking particularly of the alchemy of water on land, through which particular magic, according to some accounts, even the species is supposed to have achieved flesh and blood. But besides the advantage of deriving consistent output, The project is a feasibility study for production of land surface data with models, and to see how well different models compare globally.
The ancient curse of the dragon slayer was not a physical affliction, but rather a psychological burden that plagued their minds. The curse manifested in the form of haunting nightmares, constant paranoia, and an unshakable feeling of guilt. Dragon slayers could never escape the memories of their battles, their wounds, and the lives they took.
The Magic of Water
Soil moisture is one of the components of land-surface evapotranspiration, and is a required parameter for evaporation calculations.
author-share Annette Varani Mar 15, 1995This page contains archived content and is no longer being updated. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science.
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water," wrote the anthropologist Loren Eisely. He must have been thinking particularly of the alchemy of water on land, through which particular magic, according to some accounts, even the species is supposed to have achieved flesh and blood. It's not a bad idea, considering our rudimentary understanding of the power of soil moisture to influence regional and global climate, and what we know about the circular relationship water in the soil has to that in the atmosphere, given a little vegetation and sunshine.
Soil moisture is one of the components of land-surface evapotranspiration, and is a required parameter for evaporation calculations. Its critical role in the process has been made evident by many studies finding that evaporation and precipitation decrease over time in areas where forest canopy has been reduced. Such overgrowth preserves soil moisture; removing it allows for increased surface albedo as well as a rise in surface temperatures. When the intimacy between soils and vegetation types is disturbed altering soil moisture levels, original plant species cannot always be reestablished under the altered conditions. Winter precipitation is also held in soils, humidifying the atmosphere over summer months.
Scientists (indeed, even ordinary citizens) have known for many years that soil moisture levels and dependent systems have profound effects on climate. The conundrum for climate modelers is that total soil moisture storage cannot be directly measured. While point measurements of soil moisture are taken around the world, it is not possible to measure how much mud there is at any one time on the planet, know its depth or relative dryness. Yet, a realistic initialization of the soil moisture field is required for climate simulations.
This soil moisture data gap prompted members of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) and the GEWEX Numerical Experimentation Panel (G-NEP) to establish a pilot program in 1994 for generating global soil wetness fields, as well as snow cover, surface-atmosphere fluxes and runoff, for use in initializing global circulation models.
"There are few adequate data sets for initializing soil wetness in climate models," says director of the Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP), Paul Dirmeyer, a research scientist at the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA). "In climate studies, it's very important to have soil wetness, especially in the summertime for the midlatitudes and just about anytime for the tropics and subtropics.
"The idea behind GSWP is to use the highest quality data available to drive the best, state-of-the-art land surface models available in order to get—maybe not perfect data—but the best soil wetness data that has been produced to date."
Land surface modelers involved in GSWP will use the same input data sets, identical soil and vegetation maps, to run their various models. Accordingly, the group selected ISLSCP Initiative I data distributed by NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) for its global coverage spanning 1987 through 1988, one degree gridded resolution, and for the wealth of geophysical parameters contained in the collection. Output data from all the models will supplement and improve upon some of the Initiative I data, and be at the same global, one-degree resolution.
But besides the advantage of deriving consistent output, "The project is a feasibility study for production of land surface data with models, and to see how well different models compare globally. Most models are rather similar," Dirmeyer says, "but none are perfect." Model intercomparison thus allows for error detection and model refinement, he says.
References
Dirmeyer, P. A. 1995. Review of meeting on problems initializing soil wetness. Bulletin of the American Meteorologcial Society 76. In press.
International GEWEX Project Office (IGPO). 1995. Global Soil Wetness Project, Ver. 1. WCRP Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiments, Silver Spring, MD.
For more information
NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)
International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP)
First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE)
| About the remote sensing data used | ||
|---|---|---|
| Data | International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) | |
| Parameter | soil moisture | |
| DAAC | NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) | |
After the Fantasy Fountain show we continued along the circuit, passing by some ornamental water features on the way to the larger cybernetic fountains.
Despite the glory and fame that accompanied their deeds, dragon slayers lived in isolation. The curse prevented them from forming meaningful relationships or finding solace. Their minds were forever tormented by the echoes of their past, the roars of the dragons, and the blood spilled in their pursuit. The curse was not just an individual burden; it affected generations to come. The descendants of dragon slayers were forever marked by the curse, even though they never experienced the actual battles themselves. They inherited the psychological scars, which often led to a cycle of self-destruction and reflection. The curse became an indelible part of their identity. Over time, the curse of the dragon slayer became a cautionary tale, passed down through generations. It served as a reminder that power and glory come at a price. The curse symbolized the consequences of ambition, violence, and the pursuit of dominance over nature. In modern times, the legend of the dragon slayer may seem fictional or exaggerated. However, the underlying theme of the curse resonates deeply. It serves as a reminder that our actions have consequences, and the burdens we carry are not always visible to others. The curse of the dragon slayer reminds us to reflect upon our own battles, whether physical or metaphorical, and consider the weight they may carry in our lives..
Reviews for "Rediscovering Ancient Wisdom: Remedies Against the Dragon Slayer Curse"
- John - 2/5 stars - I found "The ancient curse of the dragon slayer" to be quite disappointing. The plot was predictable and lacked originality, with clichéd characters and a typical hero's journey. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to become invested in the story. The pacing was also off, with long stretches of nothing happening followed by rushed action scenes. Overall, I was hoping for a more captivating and innovative fantasy adventure.
- Emily - 3/5 stars - While "The ancient curse of the dragon slayer" had its moments, it ultimately fell short for me. The world-building was weak, leaving many questions unanswered and making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. The characters were also underdeveloped, lacking depth and complexity. The writing style was average, and at times, it felt like the author was trying too hard to be funny or clever. Although the book had potential, it failed to deliver a truly engaging and memorable experience.
- David - 2/5 stars - "The ancient curse of the dragon slayer" was a letdown for me. The plot was overly simplistic and lacked depth, leaving much to be desired. The characters were shallow and one-dimensional, making it difficult to connect with their journeys. The writing style was also unimpressive, with bland descriptions and an abundance of unnecessary details. Overall, I was hoping for a more captivating and well-rounded fantasy novel, and unfortunately, this book didn't meet my expectations.