Ethiopian Climate and Weather Patterns

Ethiopian and Horn Climate

• Ethiopia's diverse landscape and location near the equator and Indian Ocean create varied weather patterns.

Weather and Climate

• Weather: The current atmospheric conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness, precipitation).
• Climate: The long-term average weather conditions over an extended period.

Elements and Controls of Weather and Climate

• Elements include temperature, precipitation, humidity, winds, and air pressure.
• Controls are factors influencing these elements, including latitude, land/water distribution, winds/air pressure, altitude, and ocean currents.

Latitude

• Ethiopia's latitude leads to high average temperatures, small annual temperature ranges, and minimal seasonal variations in day length.
• Latitude affects solar insolation and temperature.

Inclination of the Earth's Axis and Seasons

• The Earth's tilted axis causes seasonal changes (day length variations).
• Equinoxes: Equal day and night (around March 21 and September 23).
• Solstices: Longest (June 21) and shortest (December 22) days in the Northern Hemisphere.

Altitude and Lapse Rates

• Altitude: Height above sea level.
• Temperature Change: Generally, temperature decreases with increasing altitude.
• Lapse Rate: The rate of temperature change with altitude.
  • Normal Lapse Rate: 6.5°C per kilometer (in the troposphere).
  • Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate: 10°C per 1,000 meters (unsaturated air).
  • Wet Adiabatic Lapse Rate: ~5°C per 1,000 meters (saturated air).
  • Environmental Lapse Rate: The actual observed temperature change with altitude in the atmosphere, often ~6.5°C per 1,000 meters, but can vary due to inversions.