Role of Coupled Climate-Hydrology-Land Use Connections on Present and Future Hydro-climates of the Greater Horn of Africa

University Of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Investigators

Abstract

The physical and dynamical processes that control, and at times constrain, climate-hydrology connections over the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) operate on top of highly variable and constantly changing land use and vegetation cover conditions. The central hypothesis of this project is that key mechanisms and drivers of climate-hydrology-land use connections and associated hydro-climatic variability and changes over the GHA can only be well understood through an integrated process-based approach, employing a dynamically coupled climate-hydrology modeling system. Under this support, multiple observation datasets will be utilized to investigate historical climate events, especially droughts. A comparison between an ensemble of coupled Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations and a suite of Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiments (CORDEX) model simulations will be undertaken. The role of global SST anomalies, change in Congo Air Mass, and changes in land use/cover characteristics in extreme precipitation (droughts/floods) will be examined.