The effects of shifts in rainfall pattern on rainfall characteristics in Tanzania
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Date
1999
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study was conducted with the aim of establishing the existence of significant
shifts or departures in rainfall pattern and the effect this may have on some important
rainfall characteristics in different parts of the country. A sample of 21 stations from
six major agro-ecological zones in Tanzania was used in the study.
Start dates of the growing season in various parts of Tanzania are variable and to
some extent symbolize rainfall variability. Hence in this study, shifts in rainfall
pattern are assumed to be reflected in the departures of start dates of the growing
season from the mean.
The start dates of the growing season for the various agro-ecological zones were
determined using a calibrated rainfall-based criterion. Calibration of the rainfallĀ
based criterion was achieved through use of a water balance simulation model which
resulted in different sets of parameter values for each of the six agro-ecological
zones. Other rainfall characteristics were derived using INSTAT statistical package.
Results show that all stations in the six agro-ecological zones experience shifts in the
rainfall pattern. Significant negative correlations between start dates and length of the
growing season exist in all the stations with uni-modal type of rains and those with
bi-modal type but for the long rains only. In other words the earlier the rains start, the
longer the growing season is expected to last and vice versa.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Shifts, Rainfall pattern, Rainfall characteristics