Factores de la variabilidad estacional de las precipitaciones en las mesetas de Angola y Namibia

Abstract

Most of southwestern African economies rely on rudimentary agriculture, highly dependent on precipitation, due to the lack of a better land management and technology these regions are deeply vulnerable to climate variability and change. This work focused on using reanalysis, mixed ground and satellite-based rainfall products and observations from local weather-stations to perform a climatological analysis focussing on atmospheric circulation, moisture transport and their relationship with rainfall anomalies over the Angolan and Namibian Plateaus. Results show a stronger (weaker) Zambezi low level jet (LLJ) magnitudes associated with above (below) normal rainfalls over the region. The Angola Low in its tropical phase is associated with deeper moisture convergence, leading to higher amounts of precipitable water within the air column, enhancing precipitation. The major moisture source of rainfall is the Indian Ocean, advected to the region mostly via the Zambezi LLJ.