Climate of Ethiopia and the Horn

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Questions and Answers

What elements do you consider to define the weather conditions of your locality?

Temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and direction, cloudiness, and atmospheric pressure.

What controls determine the variations in weather and climate between places and seasons?

  • Latitude
  • Elevation
  • Nearby water
  • All of the above (correct)

What does the latitudinal location of Ethiopia and the Horn result in?

  • High average temperatures.
  • High daily and small annual ranges of temperature.
  • No significant variation in length of day and night between summer and winter.
  • All of the above. (correct)

What is the definition of latitude?

<p>The distance of a location from the equator.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an equinox?

<p>The instant of time when the sun strikes the plane of the Earth's equator.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The summer solstice occurs on June 21st and marks the day when the northern hemisphere has maximum tilt towards the sun experiencing the shortest daylight of the year.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens during the winter solstice?

<p>Maximum southward inclination is attained in the Southern Hemisphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is altitude?

<p>The height of a location above sea level.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Define lapse rate.

<p>Changes per unit of altitudinal change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many types of alapse rates are identified?

<p>Three (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the rate of heating or cooling in the dry adiabatic lapse rate?

<p>About 10°C for every 1000m of change in elevation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the environmental lapse rate?

<p>The actual, observed change of temperature with altitude.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primarily determines the spatial distribution of temperature in Ethiopia?

<p>Both A and B (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where is the highest mean maximum temperature recorded in Ethiopia?

<p>The Afar Depression</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the tropics, the daily range of temperature is lower and the annual range is high, whereas the reverse is true in the temperate latitudes.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes spatial and temporal variability in Ethiopia's rainfall system?

<p>The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), pressure cells, and Trade Winds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is formed by the convergence of Northeast Trade winds and the Equatorial Westerlies?

<p>The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)</p> Signup and view all the answers

From mid-June to mid-September, which areas of Ethiopia do not receive rainfall during the summer season?

<p>Both A and B (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the Guinea monsoon and the South easterly winds responsible for?

<p>The rain the summer season.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the source of rain for the highlands of Somalia, and to the central and southeastern lowlands and highlands of Ethiopia during spring?

<p>Southeasterlies from the Indian Ocean</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the four rainfall regions that can be identified in Ethiopia and the Horn?

<p>Summer rainfall region, All year-round rainfall region, Autumn and Spring rainfall regions and Winter rainfall region.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which winds give rain to the winter rainfall region?

<p>The northeasterly winds</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which agro-climatic zone is largely confined to lowland areas with altitude of lower than 500 meters?

<p>Bereha Zone (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

List the traditional agro-climatic zones of Ethiopia.

<p>Bereha, Kolla, Woina Dega, Dega and Wurch.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Give an amount of temperature increase observed in Ethiopia between 1960-2006.

<p>A rise in average temperature of about 1.3°C.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Climate

The long-term average of weather conditions in an area over decades or more.

Weather

The current state of the atmosphere, including temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind.

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A low-pressure zone where the northeast trade winds and equatorial westerlies converge, affecting rainfall patterns.

Latitude

The distance from the equator, affecting temperature and climate of a location.

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Altitude

The height of a location above sea level, influencing temperature and climate conditions.

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Lapse Rate

The rate at which temperature decreases with an increase in altitude, typically 6.5°C per km.

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Adiabatic Lapse Rate (Dry)

Temperature change in a rising or sinking unsaturated air mass, about 10°C per 1000m.

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Wet Adiabatic Lapse Rate

Temperature change in a rising saturated air mass, approximately 5°C per 1000m.

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Environmental Lapse Rate

The actual rate observed for temperature changes with altitude, usually around 6.5°C per km.

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Rainfall Distribution

The varying amount and timing of rain across regions and seasons in Ethiopia.

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Spatiotemporal Patterns

The distribution of weather elements like temperature and rainfall over space and time.

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Agro-ecological Zones

Areas defined by the climate, topography, and vegetation that influence agricultural practices.

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Climate Change

A significant change in global or regional climate patterns, often linked to human activity.

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Natural Causes of Climate Change

Factors like volcanic eruptions and Earth orbital changes that influence climate naturally.

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Anthropogenic Causes of Climate Change

Human activities such as greenhouse gas emissions impacting climate.

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Drought

A prolonged dry period when there is insufficient rainfall compared to the normal conditions.

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Flood

An overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry, often resulting from excessive rain.

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Ecosystem Impact of Climate Change

Effects of climate change on biological communities, such as altered species distributions.

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Mitigation Strategies

Actions to reduce the severity of climate change by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Adaptation Strategies

Approaches to adjust to changing climate conditions and minimize harm.

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Heatwaves

Prolonged periods of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity.

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Global Warming

The gradual increase in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere due to greenhouse gas emissions.

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Mean Annual Temperature

The average temperature of a location calculated over the course of a year.

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Precipitation Variability

Fluctuations in the amount and timing of rainfall from year to year.

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Trade Winds

Reliable winds that flow in tropical regions, affecting weather patterns including rainfall.

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Equinox

A time of year when day and night are of equal length, marking seasonal changes.

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Solstice

A time of year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky, resulting in longest or shortest days.

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Extreme Weather Events

Severe weather conditions such as storms, droughts, or heavy rains caused by climate change.

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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A greenhouse gas that is a significant contributor to global warming, primarily released through burning fossil fuels.

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Methane

A potent greenhouse gas that is more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

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Study Notes

The Climate of Ethiopia and the Horn

  • Ethiopia's climate is varied due to its altitudinal ranges, proximity to the equator and the Indian Ocean
  • Climate is primarily controlled by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and associated atmospheric circulations, and complex topography
  • Weather is the instantaneous state of the atmosphere (temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness, precipitation) measured using instruments in the troposphere
  • Climate is the composite of daily weather conditions over long time periods, considering extremes and variations
  • Key elements and controls of weather and climate include temperature, precipitation, humidity, winds, air pressure, latitude, land and water distribution, altitude, mountain barriers and ocean currents
  • Spatiotemporal patterns and distribution of temperature and rainfall vary significantly across Ethiopia, influenced by altitude, latitude, cloud cover, and monsoon flows
  • Ethiopia's climate experiences extremes such as droughts and floods
  • The causes of climate change are both natural (variations in energy budget, Earth's orbital changes, volcanic eruptions) and anthropogenic (industrial activities, agriculture, emissions)
  • Climate change impacts human health, agriculture, and ecosystems (physiological stress and fodder availability)
  • Mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change are crucial (e.g., renewable energy practices, efficient transport, improving water storage and use, and flexible cultivation)
  • Ethiopia has distinct agro-ecological zones (Wurch, Dega, Weyna Dega, Kolla, Bereha) categorized primarily by altitude and temperature

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