The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4
The influence of topography on east African climate is investigated using the International Centre for Theoretical Physics Regional Climate Model, with focus on October to December season. Results show that the mean rainfall (temperature) significantly reduces (increases) over the region when topogr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Meteorology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/143917 |
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| author | Bob Alex Ogwang Haishan Chen Xing Li Chujie Gao |
| author_facet | Bob Alex Ogwang Haishan Chen Xing Li Chujie Gao |
| author_sort | Bob Alex Ogwang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The influence of topography on east African climate is investigated using the International Centre for Theoretical Physics Regional Climate Model, with focus on October to December season. Results show that the mean rainfall (temperature) significantly reduces (increases) over the region when topography elevation is reduced. Based on the model, when topography over the selected region (KTU) is reduced to 25%, the mean rainfall (temperature) over east Africa is reduced (increased) by about 19% (1.4°C). The maximum rainfall (temperature) reduction (increase) is however observed around the region over which topography is reduced. The reduction in topography elevation resulted in an anomalous moisture divergence at low level and descending motion over the region. KTU topography enhances the surface heat flux over KTU region and tends to enhance convection over both KTU and the east African region. The topography also helps in the generation of the high frequency mesoscale and subsynoptic disturbances over the region. These disturbances produce precipitation over the region and may also enhance precipitation systems over remote areas due to propagation of the disturbances. The magnitude of the zonal wind speed at 850 hpa increases with the decrease in topography elevation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5d124ecac434b1db22dd3977b7f9323 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9309 1687-9317 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Meteorology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5d124ecac434b1db22dd3977b7f93232025-02-03T06:08:26ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172014-01-01201410.1155/2014/143917143917The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4Bob Alex Ogwang0Haishan Chen1Xing Li2Chujie Gao3Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210044, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210044, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210044, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210044, ChinaThe influence of topography on east African climate is investigated using the International Centre for Theoretical Physics Regional Climate Model, with focus on October to December season. Results show that the mean rainfall (temperature) significantly reduces (increases) over the region when topography elevation is reduced. Based on the model, when topography over the selected region (KTU) is reduced to 25%, the mean rainfall (temperature) over east Africa is reduced (increased) by about 19% (1.4°C). The maximum rainfall (temperature) reduction (increase) is however observed around the region over which topography is reduced. The reduction in topography elevation resulted in an anomalous moisture divergence at low level and descending motion over the region. KTU topography enhances the surface heat flux over KTU region and tends to enhance convection over both KTU and the east African region. The topography also helps in the generation of the high frequency mesoscale and subsynoptic disturbances over the region. These disturbances produce precipitation over the region and may also enhance precipitation systems over remote areas due to propagation of the disturbances. The magnitude of the zonal wind speed at 850 hpa increases with the decrease in topography elevation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/143917 |
| spellingShingle | Bob Alex Ogwang Haishan Chen Xing Li Chujie Gao The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 Advances in Meteorology |
| title | The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 |
| title_full | The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 |
| title_short | The Influence of Topography on East African October to December Climate: Sensitivity Experiments with RegCM4 |
| title_sort | influence of topography on east african october to december climate sensitivity experiments with regcm4 |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/143917 |
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