Open-File Report 2010–1199
BackgroundAn estimated 14.3 million people are currently (July 2010) food insecure in Kenya and Ethiopia, and the U.S. government has spent more than $972 million on food aid in these two countries since 2009 (USAID, 2010). This insecurity stems from recent drought and rapid population growth that has outpaced agricultural development (Funk and others, 2008; Funk and Brown, 2009). Previous work by Funk and others (2005, 2008) and Verdin and others (2005) has linked drought conditions in Kenya and Ethiopia with warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Indian Ocean. Recent work has shown that Indian Ocean SSTs substantially affect rainfall in this region from March through June (Funk and others, 2008; Funk and Verdin, 2009). This season is known as the 'long rains' in Kenya and the 'Belg' rains in Ethiopia. |
First posted September 2, 2010 For additional information contact: Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. |
Williams, A.P., and Funk, Chris, 2010, A westward extension of the tropical Pacific warm pool leads to March through June drying in Kenya and Ethiopia: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1199, 7 p.
Background
Trends in Long Rains
Trends in Tropical Indian and Pacific Ocean Climate
Linking Long-Rains Precipitation with Indian Ocean SSTs
Summary
References Cited
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
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