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.     

The Upper Devonian Kellwasser event recorded in a regressive sequence from inner shelf to lagoonal pond,Catalan Coastal Ranges,Spain

This study, conducted in the Catalan Coastal Ranges, north‐east Spain, describes the Upper Devonian Kellwasser event in a shallowing‐upward sequence of black shales, siltstones and quartz arenites. This sequence was deposited in a progradational and regressive coastal system where the sedimentary environment evolved from the inner shelf to a lagoonal pond located landward of the shoreline. Three anomalous succeeding steps have been identified by geochemical analysis. The first one, detected on the inner shelf, was characterized by oxygen depletion and high organic productivity. The second, detected in the nearshore, was caused by hydrothermal activity occurring under normal oxic conditions. The third and most intense step was identified in the muds of the lagoonal pond and has been linked to strong anoxic conditions, elevated clastic input derived from changes in the weathering regime at the source area and moderate hydrothermal activity. The Kellwasser event is thus defined in the study area as stepwise and multi‐causal. This is the first time that the Kellwasser event has been identified in a sedimentary environment behind the shoreline. It is also the first time that it has been reported in the Catalan Coastal Ranges.     

The Latest Research Progress on El Nino

Cold water in the deep Pacific can be drawn up to the surface (or west warm water drifts eastwards ) because strong tide increases the mixing of seawater both in vertical and horizontal. In this way greenhouse effect is decreased or increased by means of absorbing (or releasing) CO2. Therefore, La Nina cold event (or El Nino warm event) may occur,which is caused by wanning - up or cooling - down air above the ocean. Volcanic action at sea bottom is also controlled by strong tide.     

The hydrological influence of black locust plantations in the loess area of northwest China

Black locust (Robina pseudoacacia) has become one of the most important shelter species in the loess area of northwest China. This paper summarizes recent research concerning its hydrological influence, including canopy interception, litter absorption capacity, its effect on rainfall kinetic energy, infiltration rates, surface runoff, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration, and its role in soil conservation. Several predictive models are listed. on the basis of existing results, optimum characteristics for an effective plantation are defined, and problems requiring further research are identified.     

Decoupling of stalagmite-derived Asian summer monsoon records from North Atlantic temperature change during marine oxygen isotope stage 5d

The Asian monsoon is an important component of the global climate system. Seasonal variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature associated with the Asian monsoon systems affect a vast expanse of tropical and subtropical Asia. Speleothem-derived summer monsoon variation in East Asia was previously found to be closely associated with millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region between 75 and 10 ka. New evidence recovered from East Asia, however, suggests that the teleconnection between summer monsoon in East Asia and temperature change in the North Atlantic region may have significantly reduced during 120 to ~ 110 ka, a period directly after the full last interglaciation and corresponding roughly to marine oxygen isotope stage 5d. This reduction may be due to the low ice volume in the North Hemisphere at that time, which makes the millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region less effective in influencing the Asian summer monsoon. This is important for investigating the mechanisms controlling the Asian summer monsoon and the paleoclimatic teleconnection between East Asia and the North Atlantic region, and for predicting monsoon-associated precipitation in East Asia under a global-warming trend.     

The WRF model performance for the simulation of heavy precipitating events over Ahmedabad during August 2006

The summer monsoon season of the year 2006 was highlighted by an unprecedented number of monsoon lows over the central and the western parts of India, particularly giving widespread rainfall over Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ahmedabad had received 540.2mm of rainfall in the month of August 2006 against the climatological mean of 219.8mm. The two spells of very heavy rainfall of 108.4mm and 97.7mm were recorded on 8 and 12 August 2006 respectively. Due to meteorological complexities involved in replicating the rainfall occurrences over a region, the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF-ARW version) modeling system with two different cumulus schemes in a nested configuration is chosen for simulating these events. The spatial distributions of large-scale circulation and moisture fields have been simulated reasonably well in this model, though there are some spatial biases in the simulated rainfall pattern. The rainfall amount over Ahmedabad has been underestimated by both the cumulus parameterization schemes. The quantitative validation of the simulated rainfall is done by calculating the categorical skill scores like frequency bias, threat scores (TS) and equitable threat scores (ETS). In this case the KF scheme has outperformed the GD scheme for the low precipitation threshold.     

Mapping susceptibility of rainfall-triggered shallow landslides using a probabilistic approach

To prepare a landslide susceptibility map is essential to identify hazardous regions, construct appropriate mitigation facilities, and plan emergency measures for a region prone to landslides triggered by rainfall. The conventional mapping methods require much information about past landslides records and contributing terrace and rainfall. They also rely heavily on the quantity and quality of accessible information and subjectively of the map builder. This paper contributes to a systematic and quantitative assessment of mapping landslide hazards over a region. Geographical Information System is implemented to retrieve relevant parameters from data layers, including the spatial distribution of transient fluid pressures, which is estimated using the TRIGRS program. The factor of safety of each pixel in the study region is calculated analytically. Monte Carlo simulation of random variables is conducted to process the estimation of fluid pressure and factor of safety for multiple times. The failure probability of each pixel is thus estimated. These procedures of mapping landslide potential are demonstrated in a case history. The analysis results reveal a positive correlation between landslide probability and accumulated rainfall. This approach gives simulation results compared to field records. The location and size of actual landslide are well predicted. An explanation for some of the inconsistencies is also provided to emphasize the importance of site information on the accuracy of mapping results.     

东亚和东南亚第四系时间界面的建议

在东亚和东南亚第四系对比中,有关的几条界限,本文建议如后。采用Globorotalia truncatulinoides的初现位作为本区海相第四系的下界,其位置大致在古地磁Olduvai亚时的下界,时间约为距今1.9Ma。在南中国海、东海及沿岸地区,发现了以G.truncatulinoides的初现位为代表的一系列有意义的生物事件,如Pulleniatina finalis的初现位,Globigerinoides obliquus和Globoquadrina altispira的灭绝位,以及Globorotalia menardii和Pulleniatina obliquloculata壳体旋向的变化。此界限在东亚和东南亚也是相当稳定的。在陆相地层中,以泥河湾组为代表,狭义的泥河湾动物群(相当于晚维拉方动物群)所在地层的底界,其古地磁位置为Olduvai亚时的底界。以此作为陆相第四系的下界,与上述海相第四系底界一致。 以古地磁布容/松山界线作为中更新世和早更新世的界限,其年代为0.73MaB.P.。中国中更新世的标准地层周口店组,其底界恰为布容/松山的转换面,北京猿人的年代为0.60—0.23MaB.P.。在洛川黄土剖面上,布容/松山界线为古土壤S_7的底界。雷琼地区中更新统下部的北海组的底界也是布容/松山界线,所产的玻璃陨石的裂变径迹年龄为0.687—0.733MaB.P.。在黄海,布容/松山界线是第Ⅶ海侵层的顶界。通过岩石地层标志,以及动物群、古人     

晚第四纪冲绳海槽北段CaCO3含量的时空变化及其控制因素

对取自冲绳海槽北段的6个沉积岩心进行了CaCO3含量、粒度和铀系同位素分析，结合氧同位素数据和海槽其他钻孔的相应结果，探讨了冲绳海槽北部晚第四纪以来CaCO3含量的垂向与横向变化特征。结果表明，冲绳海槽北段沉积总体上表现为全新世CaCO3含量高、晚更新世CaCO3含量低的“大西洋型”碳酸盐演化特征，但冲绳海槽北段和中部的碳酸盐演化特征并不一致，海槽内西坡、槽底和东坡的不同部位其演化特征也存在较大差异。碳酸盐含量的变化与沉积物粒度特征密切相关，晚第四纪冲绳海槽碳酸盐演化的时空差异是多种因素相互作用的结果。