Rainfall Variability in Murang'a District, Kenya: Meteorological Data and Farmers' Perception

This study examines meteorological data and farmers' perception of rainfall in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Rainfall data from five meteorological stations during the period from 1947 to 1996 were analysed on an annual and a monthly basis. Daily data exist from 1957 and analyses from 1957 to 1996 were done on a daily basis. Discussions were held with 60 farmers about rainfall and its variation. Ten of these farmers were interviewed with a questionnaire about rainfall. Analysing annual precipitation and rain periods gave no clear trends over the study period. Results from analysing the growing seasons for maize, the main annual crop, and periods during which maize plants are sensitive to drought showed decreasing trends in rainfall amounts for the study period. Results from the interviews indicate that most of the farmers think rainfall has decreased over the last 40 years. Farmers'perceptions of rainfall are related to periods when the main food and annual crop require water and not to the periods scientists often analyse, i.e. annual and rain periods. More research and better advice from agricultural extension workers to farmers are necessary to enable this area to sustain itself in sufficient food production if the decreasing trends during the growing seasons and drought-sensitive periods continue.     

Column Density Distribution of Galactic Lyα AbsorptionSystems

A simple consistency argument for hypothesis of the galactic halo origin of the Lyα forest absorption lines is advanced, based on the recent determination of column-density vs. impact parameter relation for the low-redshift gaseous galactic haloes. It is shown that observations of neutral hydrogen absorption around luminous galaxies are consistent with the index of the power-law column density distribution derived from statistical analyses of large samples of high-redshift Lyα forest lines.PACS: 98.62.Ra, 98.62.Gq, 98.80.Es This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The 3-D model characteristics of a Cb cloud which moves along a valley

Summary The three-dimensional cloud-resolving mesoscale model is used to simulate an individual Cb cloud in condition of real orography. We have conducted our numerical experiments over an area known as hail bearing clouds source. Once formed such clouds regenerate and propagate along the valley if the shallow layer of strong wind shear exists. The orographic effects on model Cb cloud are recognized through comparison of simulated cloud characteristics with those calculated for the flat terrain. Sensitivity experiments with respect to the wind shear layer depth are also conducted.Our results demonstrate the model capability to simulate well some observational Cb cloud characteristics. It is shown that the river valley is of essential importance for Cb cloud development. The most prominent features of the model cloud in this case are as follows: fast propagation along the river valley; considerable depth of the cold air nose with pronounced pulsation mechanism and intense cell regeneration at the leading edge of cold air outflow. Model and observed radar reflectivities in the vertical cross-section are in agreement. Some characteristics of surface cumulative rain precipitation are also well reproduced by the model. In contrast with the real orography case, the model cloud is more intense and it propagates freely in lateral direction for the flat terrain. The cell regeneration associated with forced updraft above the cold air nose is not pronounced in contrast with earlier considerations. Reflectivity pattern near the ground, having mainly bat-like wings, encircles much larger area with altitude compared to the case of real orography. Finally, the model cloud characteristics depend strongly on shear layer.Received June 2002; revised August 22, 2002; accepted October 1, 2002 Published online: April 10, 2003     

Editorial

Editorial Introduction

Editorial     

Inorganic cobalt species in seawater

Polarographic and precipitation methods were used for Co speciation in seawater taking into account only the major inorganic anionic components of seawater, such as chloride, sulphate, carbonate, hydroxide and bicarbonate. The corresponding constants were experimentally determined at the seawater ionic strength from the shift of the irreversible half-wave potential and solubility limits. The value for the carbonato-complex was obtained for the first time, while the hydroxo- and sulphato-complex values are in a fairly good agreement with the data already published. The value for the chlorocomplex was determined at $\text{I = 2.0}$ and 3.5 mol 1^?1 and extrapolated to the seawater ionic strength.The distribution of dissolved inorganic Co species in seawater was evaluated; free Co ion (hydrated) is the predominant species (about 45%) and CoSo₄⁰ and CoCl⁺ are found in approximately equal amounts (about 22%), while the fractions of CoOH⁺, Co(OH)₂⁰ and CoCO₃⁰ are between 1% and 5%.     

20th-CENTURY CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE IN THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS OF CENTRAL EUROPE

Daily maximum and minimum temperatures from 29 low-lying and mountain stations of 7 countries in Central Europe were analyzed. The analysis of the annual variation of diurnal temperature range helps to distinguish unique climatic characteristics of high and low altitude stations. A comparison of the time series of extreme daily temperatures as well as mean temperature shows a good agreement between the low-lying stations and the mountain stations. Many of the pronounced warm and cold periods are present in all time series and are therefore representative for the whole region. A linear trend analysis of the station data for the period 1901–1990 (19 stations) and 1951–1990 (all 29 stations) shows spatial patterns of similar changes in maximum and minimum daily temperatures and diurnal temperature range. Mountain stations show only small changes of the diurnal temperature range over the 1901–1990 period, whereas the low-lying stations in the western part of the Alps show a significant decrease of diurnal temperature range, caused by strong increase of the minimum temperature. For the shorter period 1951–1990, the diurnal temperature range decreases at the western low-lying stations, mainly in spring, whereas it remains roughly constant at the mountain stations. The decrease of diurnal temperature range is stronger in the western part than in the eastern part of the Alps.