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Climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia
Presenter(s)
Colin McTighe
Files
Description
This project aims to determine what major climatic factors control the variation of the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia. In the past, the variations of stable isotopes of precipitation have been linked to the North-South migration of the Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). However, recent studies suggested that the link between the ITCZ and the arrival of rainy seasons in Ethiopia do not provide enough explanation for the precipitation isotope values. In this study we examine the stable isotope values of precipitation for four stations throughout Ethiopia from August 2012 – August 2013, and determine how they are affected by a variety of climate factors including: local temperature and precipitation amount, sources of moisture (established through HYSPLIT modeling), convective intensity of moisture source region (estimated by the Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR)), wind circulation patterns, and moisture flux and transport. Our results will provide more insight to the control of precipitation isotopes in the tropical region, which is important for accurate interpretation of climate proxy data.
Publication Date
4-18-2018
Project Designation
Capstone Project
Primary Advisor
Shuang-Ye Wu
Primary Advisor's Department
Geology
Keywords
Stander Symposium project
Recommended Citation
"Climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia" (2018). Stander Symposium Projects. 1366.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1366
![Climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia](https://ecommons.udayton.edu/assets/images/placeholder-thumbnail.jpg)