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journal article May 15, 2019

Inter‐annual hydroclimatic variability in coastal Tanzania

Robert V. Rohli ORCID Sara A. Ates Victor H. Rivera‐Monroy ORCID Michael J. Polito Stephen R. Midway Edward Castañeda‐Moya ORCID Arthur J. Gold Emi Uchida Mwita M. Mangora ORCID Makoto Suwa
International Journal of Climatology Vol. 39 No. 12 pp. 4736-4750 · Wiley
View at Publisher Save 10.1002/joc.6103
Abstract
AbstractClimatic controls regulate the coupled natural and human systems in coastal Tanzania, where mangrove wetlands provide a wealth of ecosystem services to coastal communities. Previous research has explained the precipitation seasonality of eastern Africa in terms of the local monsoons. This research examines a wider range of hydroclimatic variables, including water vapour flux, evapotranspiration, runoff, and ocean salinity, and the sources of low‐frequency atmosphere–ocean variability that support mangrove productivity and associated ecosystem services. Results confirm previous work suggesting that the northeast monsoon (kaskazi) largely corresponds to the “short rains” of October–December and extends through February, while the southeast monsoon (kusi) corresponds to the “long rains” of March–May and the drier June–September. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and, to a lesser extent, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are important modulators not only of precipitation (as has been shown previously) but also of water vapour flux, evapotranspiration, runoff, and salinity variability. During kaskazi, positive (negative) hydroclimatic anomalies occur during positive (negative) IOD, with a stronger IOD influence occurring during its positive phase, when seasonal anomalies of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff exceed +50, 25, and 100%, and nearby salinity decreases by 0.5 practical salinity units. During kusi, the contrast between the positive and negative IOD modes is subtler, and the pattern is dictated more by variability in “long rains” months than in the dry months. The coincidence of the positive IOD and El Niño amplify this hydroclimatic signal. Because previous work suggests the likelihood of increased tendency for positive IOD and increased moisture variability associated with El Niño events in the future, wetter conditions may accompany the kaskazi, with less change expected during the kusi. These results advance understanding of the key environmental drivers controlling mangrove productivity and wetland spatial distribution that provide ecosystem services essential to the well‐being of the human population.
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References
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Showing 50 of 76 references

Metrics
15
Citations
76
References
Details
Published
May 15, 2019
Vol/Issue
39(12)
Pages
4736-4750
License
View
Authors
R
Robert V. Rohli

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

S
Sara A. Ates

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

V
Victor H. Rivera‐Monroy

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

M
Michael J. Polito

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

S
Stephen R. Midway

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

E
Edward Castañeda‐Moya

Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences College of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana

A
Arthur J. Gold

Department of Natural Resources Science University of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island

E
Emi Uchida

Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics University of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island

M
Mwita M. Mangora

Institute of Marine Sciences University of Dar es Salaam Zanzibar Tanzania

M
Makoto Suwa

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery World Bank Washington, DC

Funding
National Science Foundation Award: CNH #1518471
Cite This Article
Robert V. Rohli, Sara A. Ates, Victor H. Rivera‐Monroy, et al. (2019). Inter‐annual hydroclimatic variability in coastal Tanzania. International Journal of Climatology, 39(12), 4736-4750. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6103
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