Physical impacts of regional climate change in the West African Sahel and the question of desertification
- Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)
- NOAA Science Center, Washington, DC (United States)
The question of desertification is examined in the West African Sahel region by considering various physical indicators assumed to accompany this process. The study considers only the past 14 years, since the availability of comprehensive satellite data sets. The physical indicators examined include vegetation cover, surface albedo, soil moisture, wind-borne dust, river flow, lakes, and the ratio of available moisture to vegetation growth. Vegetation cover and albedo are assessed from satellite data. Soil moisture is assessed using a surface hydrologic model. Dust is estimated from visibility measurements. The most important results are that: (1) there is no progressive change in the vegetation cover, (2) an increase of albedo as the region dries up cannot be documented, and (3) there has been a tremendous increase in wind-borne dust over the Sahel. The vegetation cover responds almost directly to rainfall and the movement of the desert boundary corresponds roughly to rainfall fluctuations. The most important meteorological effect of the drought and/or desertification in the Sahel may be the enhanced dust generation, with the region becoming a major global source of atmospheric mineral dust. 5 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 535529
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970207--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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