Local level rainfall and temperature variability in drought-prone districts of rural Sidama,central rift valley region of Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine local level spatiotemporal rainfall and temperature variability in drought-prone districts of rural Sidama, Central Rift Valley region of Ethiopia. The study used 129 gridded monthly rainfall and temperature data of 32 years (1983–2014). The gridded rainfall and temperature records were encoded into GIS software and evaluated through different statistical and geospatial techniques. Mann-Kendal rank test and F distribution tests were used to test temporal and spatial statistical significance, respectively, of the data. The analysis revealed that Belg and Kiremt are the main rainfall seasons, constituting 81% of the annual rainfall. Although annual, Kiremt, and Belg rainfall amounts appear to have decreased over time, the decreasing trend is statistically significant only for Belg rainfall records. On the other hand, rainfall standard anomaly results indicated seven droughts of different magnitudes: one extreme, two severe, and four moderate. The study also revealed increasing temperature trends over the years under consideration that are statistically significant. The findings of this study on rainfall contradict other findings obtained around the study area. Thus, climate change adaptations need to focus on location-specific climate data analysis so that the intended adaptive interventions can be successful.     

用双三次样条函数和GPS资料反演现今中国大陆构造形变场

将中国大陆现今构造变动视为一种连续的地壳变形,利用双三次样条函数模拟了近期GPS测定的大陆内部及周边地区412个测站速率,反演大陆地区自洽的构造变动速度场和应变率场.模拟结果显示:印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞、挤压是构成中国大陆内部岩石层水平形变的主要驱动力.印度板块在东喜马拉雅构造结深深插入青藏高原,造成地壳大规模的缩短和抬升.青藏高原东南部的喜马拉雅带、拉萨和羌塘地块以及青藏高原东南边的川滇地区,内部构造活动强烈,其内部的构造变形包含地壳碎片的冲断、褶皱和侧向逃逸.大陆地壳(或岩石圈)的增厚,尤其是喜马拉雅山脉南北向的快速缩短和青藏高原东西向的缓慢拉张,大约吸收了印欧板块会聚量的85%,西藏中东地区东西向的拉张速率达到了(16±2.0)mm/a,且顺时针方向扭转明显.印度板块相对欧亚板块运动的欧拉极为(29.7°N, 19.3°E, 0.392°/Ma);华南地块相对于欧亚大陆向东(102°±7.4°)南的运动速率是(11±1.54)mm/a,华南块体相对欧亚板块运动的欧拉极为(62.25°N, 126.56°E, 0.141°/Ma);塔里木地块相对较稳定,其西部运动速度高于东部运动速度,作顺时针方向旋转.总体上讲,中国大陆运动方向为北偏东呈辐射状,从西部近南北方向的运动转向东部地区东南方向的运动,绕东喜马拉雅构造结有一顺时针方向的旋转.横穿喜马拉雅构造带及青藏内部的南北向压缩速率为(19±2.0)mm/a,横穿西天山构造带的南北向压缩平均速率为(13±1.5)mm/a,横穿东天山构造带的南北向压缩平均速率为(6.0±1.4)mm/a.阿尔金断裂带的左旋走滑速率为(6±1.2)mm/a.     

Source rates and ion recycling rates for Na and K in Mercury's atmosphere

The supply rates of Na and K to the atmosphere of Mercury by processes acting on the extreme surface—thermal vaporization, photon-stimulated desorption (PSD), and ion-sputtering—are limited by the rates at which atoms can be supplied to the extreme surface by diffusion from inside the regolith grains. Supply rates to the atmosphere are further regulated by ion retention and by gardening rates that supply new grains to the surface. We consider the limits on supply of sodium and potassium atoms to the atmosphere, and rates of photoion recycling to the surface. Thermal vaporization rates are severely limited by the ability of atoms to diffuse to the surface of the grain. Therefore, the diffusion-limited thermal vaporization rates on Mercury's surface are comparable to or less than the PSD rates. Ion sputtering is primarily due to highly ionized heavy ions, even though they represent a small fraction of the solar wind. We have shown that up to 60% of the Na photoions are deposited on the surface of Mercury. Ion recycling to the surface can have a long-term effect on the regolith abundance if an average recycling pattern persists such that more ions return to a particular area than are launched there. It is unknown whether the formation of latitude bands of >100% ion retention persist on average despite a rapidly changing magnetosphere. The total exospheric column of sodium observed at Mercury between 1997 to 2003 varied by a factor of 2-3 from perihelion to aphelion.     

HCN fluorescence on Titan

The HCN emission features near 3 μm recently detected by Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39) are analyzed with a model for fluorescence of sunlight in the ν₃ band of HCN. The emission spectrum is consistent with current knowledge of the atmospheric temperature profile and the HCN distribution inferred from millimeter-wave observations. The spectrum is insensitive to the abundance of HCN in the thermosphere and the thousand-fold enhancement relative to photochemical models suggested by Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39) is not required to explain the observations. We find that the spectrum can be matched with temperatures from 130 to 200 K, with slightly better fits at high temperature, contrary to the temperature determination of 130±10 K of Geballe et al. (2003, Astrophys. J. 583, L39). The HCN emission spectrum is sensitive to the collisional de-excitation probability, P₁₀, for the ν₃ state and we determine a value of 10⁻⁵ with an accuracy of about a factor of two. Analysis of absorption lines in the C₂H₂ν₃ band near 3 μm, detected in the same spectrum, indicate a C₂H₂ mole fraction near 0.01 μbar of 10⁻⁵ for P₁₀=10⁻⁴. The derived mole fraction, however, is dependent upon the value adopted for P₁₀ and lower values are required if P₁₀ at Titan temperatures is less than its room temperature value.     

CARBON DYNAMICS OF WETLAND IN THE SANJIANG PLAIN

1INTRODUCTIONWetlandsplayanimportant roleintheprocessofcar-bonstorage.Thetotalcarbonstoredindifferentkindsofwetlandsisabout15%-35%ofthetotalcarboninthegloballandsoils(POSTetal.,1982;GORHAM,1991).Inaddition,wetlandsaresignificantnaturalsources fortheatmospheric CH4 (MOORE,1994).It isestimatedthatabout110×1012gCH4 originates fromanaerobicdecompositioninthenaturalwetlands,CH4 emission fromthenaturalwetlandsis15%-30%oftheglobalCH4 emission andtheCH4 emission from thepeat land at hi…     

Mesoscale linear streaks on Mars: environments of dust entrainment

Variable surface albedo features on Mars are likely caused by the entrainment and deposition of dust by the wind. Most discrete markings are associated with topographic forms or with regional slopes that serve to alter the effective wind shear stress on the surface. Some of the largest variable features, here termed mesoscale linear streaks, are up to 400 km in length and repeatedly occur in one of the smoothest regions of Mars: Amazonis Planitia. Their orientations and apparent season of variability as observed by Viking and Mars Orbiter cameras indicate linear streak formation by enhanced surface wind stresses during regional or local dust storms and during the initial stages of global dust storms. They provide an example of the ability of large-scale winds, without significant local enhancement, to initiate dust motion on Mars. The sizes and spacing of the linear streaks may be controlled by boundary layer rolls. The repetitive formation of these streaks, over a span of more than 11 Mars years, gives one measure of the stability of Mars’ eolian processes.     

Tidal effects on temperature front in the Yellow Sea

Temperature front (TF) is one of the important features in the Yellow Sea, which forms in spring, thrives in summer, and fades in autumn as thermocline declines. TF intensity ⋎S _T ⋎ is defined to describe the distribution of TF. Based on the MASNUM wave-tide-circulation coupled model, temperature distribution in the Yellow Sea was simulated with and without tidal effects. Along 36°N, distribution of TF from the simulated results are compared with the observations, and a quantitative analysis is introduced to evaluate the tidal effects on the forming and maintaining processes of the TF. Tidal mixing and the circulation structure adapting to it are the main causes of the TF. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. G1999043809) and the National Science Foundation of China (No. 49736190).