Climate Variability and Predictability over the Greater Horn of Africa

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This project will address the leading deficiencies of the RegCM3 model over the Greater Horn of Africa region. The specific goal is to investigate the causes of the sub-optimal performance of the Regional Climate Model, version 3, over the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria in Africa. This model will be used to investigate the value of downscaling global climate model simulations over the Greater Horn of Africa region. The already-established importance of Lake Victoria in modulating the regional climate of Eastern Africa will be further investigated by coupling the variability and predictability of the three-dimensional circulation of Lake Victoria and the climatic conditions in the lake basin. This work will facilitate international collaboration between American and African students, and is expected to contribute to stimulating learning and education experiences for project students in the United States, while furthering a network within the United States and the Greater Horn Region of Africa. This work also contributes to national security by fostering international cooperation at a fundamental level. Project activities, findings, and curricula will be broadly disseminated through student and faculty publications, as well as presentations and participation at research conferences, and symposia. The research will have widespread impact on the climate information user community through the development of enabling science and technology for the interpretation and practical exploitation of regional climate prediction information. The project will train 3 to 4 graduate students and 10 undergraduate students in regional climate modeling.