Improved long-term mean annual rainfall fields for Colombia

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (14) ◽  
pp. 2194-2212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar David Álvarez-Villa ◽  
Jaime Ignacio Vélez ◽  
Germán Poveda
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lior Siman-Tov ◽  
Onn Crouvi ◽  
Efrat Morin ◽  
Rivka Amit ◽  
Yehouda Enzel ◽  
...  

<p>Hyperarid (< 80 mm yr<sup>-1</sup>) soils in hot deserts are characterized by accumulations of soluble salts (gypsum and halite) in diagnostic horizons as a result of limited moisture availability. In most desert terrains, the source for pedogenic gypsum and halite is atmospheric dust and rainwater. The interplay between climatic properties such as frequency and intensity of rain events, rainfall composition, dust flux, and evaporation rates, govern the depth and concentration of these salts. Better understanding of these relationships can improve our estimation of regional paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate conditions. Up to date, only empirical correlations between annual rainfall and pedogenic salt horizons are available.</p><p>The goals of this study are to: 1) quantify rates of pedogenic gypsum accumulation with time and the role of controlling climatic conditions that govern its accumulation, 2) estimate the most likely climatic scenarios that led to the formation of the diagnostic gypsic horizon developed in late Pleistocene (~ 60 ka) abandoned alluvial fan surfaces in the hyperarid Negev desert,  southern Israel. To achieve these goals, we constructed a compartment model that simulates gypsum accumulation in soil and tests its sensitivity to various changes in the long-term climate properties. The model predicts gypsum content and depth of accumulation in the soil profile over thousands of years and more. The input parameters are stochastically simulated rainstorms, evaporation, dust flux, and sulfate concentration in rainwater, at daily time steps. The model was tested and calibrated using data of Holocene (< 11 ka) soil profiles developed on stable alluvial fans in the hyperarid Negev. With the assumption that the climate during the Holocene was not much different than today (i.e., mean annual rainfall < 50 mm). Sensitivity analyses indicate that gypsum accumulation is highly sensitive to mean annual rainfall and sulfate concentration in rainwater. Synthetic gypsum profiles were calculated using different climate scenarios and compared to late Pleistocene soils. Our results suggest that: (a) gypsum accumulation in late Pleistocene soils cannot occur simply by extending current climate conditions for a much longer duration. (b) The plausible climate scenarios for the late Pleistocene must include additional rain input (1.5 – 2.0 times than mean annual rainfall today) and increased sulfate concentration in rainwater (2.0 – 2.5 times than today) to successfully reconstruct the observed accumulated gypsum in mature (60 – 12 Ka) soil profiles.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 690-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munyaradzi D. Shekede ◽  
Amon Murwira ◽  
Mhosisi Masocha ◽  
Fadzai M. Zengeya

Analysis of rainfall records for stations on Mahé (Seychelles), Mauritius, Minicoy and Amini Divi (Laccadives), and other western Indian Ocean stations, shows substantial fluctuations in mean annual rainfall over the past 100 years, with high rainfalls at the beginning of this century, at about 1930, and at the present day, with troughs during 1915-20 and 1940-50. Overlapping series of more recent records for Aldabra, Assumption and the Iles Glorieuses also suggest substantial variations, and the existence of these is supported by episodic historical records. The consequences of such changes for the land biota of Aldabra, especially for the giant tortoises, are discussed, and brief reference is made to other types of evidence for climatic change on the atoll.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1579-1595 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Galy-Lacaux ◽  
D. Laouali ◽  
L. Descroix ◽  
N. Gobron ◽  
C. Liousse

Abstract. Long-term precipitation chemistry have been recorded in the rural area of Banizoumbou (Niger), representative of a semi-arid savanna ecosystem. A total of 305 rainfall samples ~90% of the total annual rainfall) were collected from June 1994 to September 2005. From ionic chromatography, pH major inorganic and organic ions were detected. Rainwater chemistry is controlled by soil/dust emissions associated with terrigeneous elements represented by SO42−, Ca2+, Carbonates, K+ and Mg2+. It is found that calcium and carbonates represent ~40% of the total ionic charge. The second highest contribution is nitrogenous, with annual Volume Weighed Mean (VWM) for NO3− and NH4+ concentrations of 11.6 and 18.1 μeq.l−1, respectively. This is the signature of ammonia sources from animals and NOx emissions from savannas soil-particles rain-induced. The mean annual NH3 and NO2 air concentration are of 6 ppbv and 2.6 ppbv, respectively. The annual VWM precipitation concentration of sodium and chloride are both of 8.7 μeq.l−1 which reflects the marine signature of monsoonal and humid air masses. The median pH value is of 6.05. Acidity is neutralized by mineral dust, mainly carbonates, and/or dissolved gases such NH3. High level of organic acidity with 8μeq.l−1 and 5.2 μeq.l−1 of formate and acetate were also found. The analysis of monthly Black Carbon emissions and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) values show that both biogenic emission from vegetation and biomass burning could explain the rainfall organic acidity content. The interannual variability of the VWM concentrations around the mean (1994–2005) is between ±5% and ±30% and mainly due to variations of sources strength and rainfall spatio-temporal distribution. From 1994 to 2005, the total mean wet deposition flux in the Sahelian region is of 60.1 mmol.m−2.yr−1 ±25%. Finally, Banizoumbou measurements are compared to other long-term measurements of precipitation chemistry in the wet savanna of Lamto (Côte d'Ivoire) and in the forested zone of Zoétélé (Cameroon). The total chemical loading presents a maximum in the dry savanna and a minimum in the forest (from 143.7, 100.2 to 86.6 μeq.l−1), associated with the gradient of terrigeneous sources. The wet deposition fluxes present an opposite trend, with 60.0 mmol.m−2.yr−1 in Banizoumbou, 108.6 mmol.m−2.yr−1 in Lamto and 162.9 mmol.m−2.yr−1 in Zoétélé, controlled by rainfall gradient along the ecosystems transect.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1583-1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhui Liu ◽  
Chaoyong Hu

Abstract. The 8.2 ka BP event could provide important information for predicting abrupt climate change in the future. Although published records show that the East Asian monsoon area responded to the 8.2 ka BP event, there is no high-resolution quantitative reconstructed climate record in this area. In this study, a reconstructed 10-year moving average annual rainfall record in southwest China during the 8.2 ka BP event is presented by comparing two high-resolution stalagmite δ18O records from Dongge cave and Heshang cave. This decade-scale rainfall reconstruction is based on a central-scale model and is confirmed by inter-annual monitoring records, which show a significant positive correlation between the regional mean annual rainfall and the drip water annual average δ18O difference from two caves along the same monsoon moisture transport pathway from May 2011 to April 2014. Similar trends between the reconstructed rainfall and the stalagmite Mg ∕ Ca record, another proxy of rainfall, during the 8.2 ka BP period further increase the confidence of the quantification of the rainfall record. The reconstructed record shows that the mean annual rainfall in southwest China during the central 8.2 ka BP event is less than that of present (1950–1990) by  ∼  200 mm and decreased by  ∼  350 mm in  ∼  70 years experiencing an extreme drying period lasting for  ∼  50 years. Comparison of the reconstructed rainfall record in southwest China with Greenland ice core δ18O and δ15N records suggests that the reduced rainfall in southwest China during the 8.2 ka BP period was coupled with Greenland cooling with a possible response rate of 110 ± 30 mm °C−1.


2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bari ◽  
K. R. J. Smettem

Abstract. A conceptual water balance model is presented to represent changes in monthly water balance following land use changes. Monthly rainfall–runoff, groundwater and soil moisture data from four experimental catchments in Western Australia have been analysed. Two of these catchments, "Ernies" (control, fully forested) and "Lemon" (54% cleared) are in a zone of mean annual rainfall of 725 mm, while "Salmon" (control, fully forested) and "Wights" (100% cleared) are in a zone with mean annual rainfall of 1125 mm. At the Salmon forested control catchment, streamflow comprises surface runoff, base flow and interflow components. In the Wights catchment, cleared of native forest for pasture development, all three components increased, groundwater levels rose significantly and stream zone saturated area increased from 1% to 15% of the catchment area. It took seven years after clearing for the rainfall–runoff generation process to stabilise in 1984. At the Ernies forested control catchment, the permanent groundwater system is 20 m below the stream bed and so does not contribute to streamflow. Following partial clearing of forest in the Lemon catchment, groundwater rose steadily and reached the stream bed by 1987. The streamflow increased in two phases: (i) immediately after clearing due to reduced evapotranspiration, and (ii) through an increase in the groundwater-induced stream zone saturated area after 1987. After analysing all the data available, a conceptual monthly model was created, comprising four inter-connecting stores: (i) an upper zone unsaturated store, (ii) a transient stream zone store, (ii) a lower zone unsaturated store and (iv) a saturated groundwater store. Data such as rooting depth, Leaf Area Index, soil porosity, profile thickness, depth to groundwater, stream length and surface slope were incorporated into the model as a priori defined attributes. The catchment average values for different stores were determined through matching observed and predicted monthly hydrographs. The observed and predicted monthly runoff for all catchments matched well with coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 0.68 to 0.87. Predictions were relatively poor for: (i) the Ernies catchment (lowest rainfall, forested), and (ii) months with very high flows. Overall, the predicted mean annual streamflow was within ±8% of the observed values. Keywords: monthly streamflow, land use change, conceptual model, data-based approach, groundwater


Koedoe ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mmoto L. Masubelele ◽  
Michael T. Hoffman ◽  
William Bond ◽  
Peter Burdett

Fixed-point photo monitoring supplemented by animal census data and climate monitoring potential has never been explored as a long-term monitoring tool for studying vegetation change in the arid and semi-arid national parks of South Africa. The long-term (1988–2010), fixed-point monitoring dataset developed for the Camdeboo National Park, therefore, provides an important opportunity to do this. Using a quantitative estimate of the change in vegetation and growth form cover in 1152 fixed-point photographs, as well as series of step-point vegetation surveys at each photo monitoring site, this study documented the extent of vegetation change in the park in response to key climate drivers, such as rainfall, as well as land use drivers such as herbivory by indigenous ungulates. We demonstrated the varied response of vegetation cover within three main growth forms (grasses, dwarf shrubs [< 1 m] and tall shrubs [> 1 m]) in three different vegetation units and landforms (slopes, plains, rivers) within the Camdeboo National Park since 1988. Sites within Albany Thicket and Dwarf Shrublands showed the least change in vegetation cover, whilst Azonal vegetation and Grassy Dwarf Shrublands were more dynamic. Abiotic factors such as drought and flooding, total annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality appeared to have the greatest influence on growth form cover as assessed from the fixed-point photographs. Herbivory appeared not to have had a noticeable impact on the vegetation of the Camdeboo National Park as far as could be determined from the rather coarse approach used in this analysis and herbivore densities remained relatively low over the study duration.Conservation implications: We provided an historical assessment of the pattern of vegetation and climatic trends that can help evaluate many of South African National Parks’ biodiversity monitoring programmes, especially relating to habitat change. It will help arid parks in assessing the trajectories of vegetation in response to herbivory, climate and management interventions.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0248743
Author(s):  
Md Mazharul Islam ◽  
Majed Alharthi ◽  
Md Wahid Murad

Objective While macroeconomic and environmental events affect the overall economic performance of nations, there has not been much research on the effects of important macroeconomic and environmental variables and how these can influence progress. Saudi Arabia’s economy relies heavily on its vast reserves of petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper, but its economic growth trajectory has been uneven since the 1990s. This study examines the effects of carbon emissions, rainfall, temperature, inflation, population, and unemployment on economic growth in Saudi Arabia. Methods Annual time series dataset covering the period 1990–2019 has been extracted from the World Bank and General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Saudi Arabia. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration has served to investigate the long-run relationships among the variables. Several time-series diagnostic tests have been conducted on the long-term ARDL model to check its robustness. Results Saudi Arabia can still achieve higher economic growth without effectively addressing its unemployment problem as both the variables are found to be highly significantly but positively cointegrated in the long-run ARDL model. While the variable of carbon emissions demonstrated a negative effect on the nation’s economic growth, the variables of rainfall and temperate were to some extent cointegrated into the nation’s economic growth in negative and positive ways, respectively. Like most other nations the short-run effects of inflation and population on economic growth do vary, but their long-term effects on the same are found to be positive. Conclusions Saudi Arabia can achieve both higher economic growth and lower carbon emissions simultaneously even without effectively addressing the unemployment problem. The nation should utilize modern scientific technologies to annual rainfall losses and to reduce annual temperature in some parts of the country in order to achieve higher economic growth.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 4071-4105 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Merbold ◽  
J. Ardö ◽  
A. Arneth ◽  
R. J. Scholes ◽  
Y. Nouvellon ◽  
...  

Abstract. This study reports carbon and water fluxes between the land surface and atmosphere in eleven different ecosystems types in Sub-Saharan Africa, as measured using eddy covariance (EC) technology in the first two years of the CarboAfrica network operation. The ecosystems for which data were available ranged in mean annual rainfall from 320 mm (Sudan) to 1150 mm (The Republic of Congo) and include a spectrum of vegetation types (or land cover) (open savannas, woodlands, croplands and grasslands). Given the shortness of the record, the EC data were analysed across the network rather than longitudinally at sites, in order to understand the driving factors for ecosystem respiration and carbon assimilation, and to reveal the different water use strategies in these highly seasonal environments. Values for maximum net carbon assimilation rates (photosynthesis) ranged from 12 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in a dry, open Acacia savanna (C3-plants) up to 40 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 for a tropical moist grassland. Maximum carbon assimilation rates were highly correlated with mean annual rainfall (R2=0.89). Maximum photosynthetic uptake rates were positively related to satellite-derived fAPAR. Ecosystem respiration was dependent on temperature at all sites, and was additionally dependent on soil water content at sites receiving less than 1000 mm of rain per year. All included ecosystems, except the Congolese grassland, showed a strong decrease in 30-min assimilation rates with increasing water vapour pressure deficit above 2.0 kPa.


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