Old Rocks
Diamond Member
Africa Heats Up -- climate change threatens future of the continent
A group of researchers presented their findings on the subject at the American Geophysical Union's annual conference in May of this year. Generated from the analysis of 60 separate computer simulations imitating global climate, the results infer that the temperature increase in the Indian Ocean is to blame for the present drought in southern Africa. Further, higher rainfall in the Sahel appears to be linked to temperature changes in the Atlantic. The nature of the change is not as simple as a straightforward increase in temperature however.
Regular droughts have decimated crop yields in various parts of the continent since 1970. The scientists' models reveal consistent and marked warming of the Indian Ocean, implying persistent and increased occurrence of drought in the Horn as well as southern Africa. Results indicate that the droughts in southern Africa can be traced directly to the change in the Indian Ocean, which has warmed by one degree Celsius since 1950. The new models show that the regular monsoon winds that bring seasonal rain to sub-Saharan Africa may be 10-20% drier than in the last 50 year period. With this warming, rainy seasons are becoming markedly shorter.
Read more at Africa Heats Up -- climate change threatens future of the continent
Seems to confirm the previous post.
A group of researchers presented their findings on the subject at the American Geophysical Union's annual conference in May of this year. Generated from the analysis of 60 separate computer simulations imitating global climate, the results infer that the temperature increase in the Indian Ocean is to blame for the present drought in southern Africa. Further, higher rainfall in the Sahel appears to be linked to temperature changes in the Atlantic. The nature of the change is not as simple as a straightforward increase in temperature however.
Regular droughts have decimated crop yields in various parts of the continent since 1970. The scientists' models reveal consistent and marked warming of the Indian Ocean, implying persistent and increased occurrence of drought in the Horn as well as southern Africa. Results indicate that the droughts in southern Africa can be traced directly to the change in the Indian Ocean, which has warmed by one degree Celsius since 1950. The new models show that the regular monsoon winds that bring seasonal rain to sub-Saharan Africa may be 10-20% drier than in the last 50 year period. With this warming, rainy seasons are becoming markedly shorter.
Read more at Africa Heats Up -- climate change threatens future of the continent
Seems to confirm the previous post.