University of Nairobi

About: University of Nairobi is a education organization based out in Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 6702 authors who have published 10777 publications receiving 231294 citations. The organization is also known as: UoN & IAU-020319.

The spatial and temporal patterns of the East African seasonal rainfall derived from principal component analysis

Abstract: In this study, rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) was used to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of seasonal rainfall over East Africa during the period 1922–1983. The RPCA solutions were derived from both spatial and temporal correlation matrices. The spatial correlation matrices described intercorrelation between pairs of stations, while the temporal matrices gave correlations between pairs of map patterns. Results obtained with the spatial correlation matrices indicated seasonal shifts in the patterns of the dominant RPCA modes which closely resembled the seasonal migration patterns of the rainfall belts induced by the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The influence of the large water bodies, especially Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean, were however, outstanding throughout the year. Twenty-six homogeneous regional groups were delineated from the spatial characteristics of the dominant eigenvectors. Solutions based on the temporal correlation matrices clustered together some of the wet and dry episodes. Some of the map patterns clustered together could be associated significantly with the El-Nino/Southern Oscillation events.

The Holocene History of Lake Victoria

Abstract: Recent investigations by the International Decade for the East African Lakes (IDEAL) have significantly advanced our knowledge on the history of Lake Victoria. Seismic reflection profiles confirm the origin of the lake as a result of regional tilting and provide an estimated age of 400 000 years for the lake basin. Three major desiccation events are recorded in the seismic records that may reflect the 100 000 year Milankovitch cycle of climate forcing. The most recent arid period resulted in complete desiccation of the pre-existing lake. Lake Victoria arose from a dry landscape 14 600 calendar years ago (14.6 ka). Primary production was extremely high as lake level rose in its first 500 years, nourished by the high input of nutrients from the flooded landscape. A few species of cichlids and other fish swam out of their fluvial refugia to colonize the new lake, generating hundreds of new endemic species over the ensuing 14 000 years. Lake level rose until a brief overflow event at about 14.2 ka to 13.6 ka. Closed-basin conditions returned during the Younger Dryas until 11.2 ka, when major outflow and open-basin conditions were permanently established. The lake experienced progressively stronger stratification and water-column stability through the first half of the Holocene, and diatom productivity dropped to a minimum from 9.8 to about 7.5 ka. This period coincides with, but is much longer than, the 8.2 ka climatic event that has been observed in many Holocene records from throughout the world. The degree of water-column mixing appears to have steadily increased over the last 6000 years. Short cores from the open lake, document a shift in lake conditions beginning in the 1930s that progressed to the major ecosystem collapse of the early 1980s. The coincidence of the shift in sediment properties in the 1930s with the beginning of rapid expansion of human population and agricultural activity suggests cause and effect. It is conceivable that the lake experienced similar conditions due to natural causes between about 9800 and 7500 years ago.

Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

Abstract: Remote sensing is defined as the art, science and technology through which the characteristics of object features/targets either on, above or even below the earth’s surface are identified, measured and analyzed without direct contact existing between the sensors and the targets or events being observed, see e.g., (Jensen 2009; Lillesand et al. 2010; Richards 1994; Murai 1999) etc.