For example, Lopez has been using remote sensing to examine the role of underground water in the Lake Chad basin. This is because...Mike Tyson: You Can Be A Genius In Your Career But A Financial Imbecile! “However, the geopolitical situation is making things worse, as well-intentioned science teams that may want to set up measurements are often deterred by the physical dangers they are likely to face.”Scientists have made some progress. Lake Chad in Africa has shrunk to a sliver of its former self since the 1960s, heightening shortages of fish and irrigation water. by Bob Yirka , Phys.org Topic Sentence #1: The major decrease in water leads to dying wildlife, less drinking water and a drier climate. Your opinions are important to us. Formed some 250,000 years ago when the Nile River pushed through a low channel near Wadi Tushka, it flooded the eastern Sahara, creating a lake that at its highest level covered more than 42,000 square miles. A transition to a strong The chart above shows the water levels of Lake Chad, as calculated from a combination of ground-based gauges and from altimeters on the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. Doctoral research by Churchill Okonkwo (while he was at Howard University) shows that the late 1960s through the early 1970s marked a turning point in the response of Sahel rainfall to two of Earth’s climate cycles—the NASA Earth Observatory charts by Joshua Stevens, using data provided by Churchill Okonkwo.Okonkwo and colleagues showed that in the early 1970s, the AMO was in its so-called “cold phase,” meaning that oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns shifted in such a way that the Sahel received less rain. When they go to Maiduguri, in the north-eastern region of Nigeria, they become prey to mischievous political actors who finance this entity called Boko Haram. This part of the lake is where Chad meets Nigeria and the Cameroon. This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. The overflowing mega-lakes of pre-50,000 years ago had begun to shrink, and reliable supplies of freshwater were in a state of collapse. It's estimated that some 40 million people from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Central African Republic rely on the lake for fresh water and other resources.
The consequences of Lake Chad drying up are dire. There is evidence that groundwater in aquifers is relatively close to the surface and may be “recharging“ parts of the lake. Medical Xpress covers all medical research advances and health news Tech Xplore covers the latest engineering, electronics and technology advances Science X Network offers the most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Since then, water has come and gone from the northern lobe depending on the year and season. This image, captured in January 1987 by the By 1999, some water filled northern Lake Chad year-round again. Found at the intersection of four different countries in West Africa (Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon), Lake Chad has been the source of water for massive irrigation projects. The resulting reduction to Lake Chad is visible in this triptych of images captured by The images show the lake in 1973, 1976, and 1979, a time of great transition and decline in the lake extent. We do not guarantee individual replies due to extremely high volume of correspondence.
“Understanding the evolution and changes of Lake Chad,” Lopez said, “is crucial for the countries using its water.”
June 30, 2015 By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our At its maximum extent the sea was more than 600 feet (180 metres) deep, occupied an area of approximately 154,400 square miles (400,000 square km), and drained into the Atlantic Ocean through the Benue River system.
Since 1900, bumps and dips are evident in the lake level; those changes have mirrored fluctuations in rainfall.
The once-great lake now spans less than a tenth of the area it covered in the 1960s. Research Question: Why is Lake Chad drying up and what are the consequences for the people, animals, etc? Your email address is used Espinosa-Garcés, therefore, called for global attention, saying that the issue needed to be addressed holistically. Lake Chad is in the Sahel, the vast semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert. For more than a decade, severe droughts plagued the African Sahel. Notice how there is little vegetation around the lake at this stage.NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen, using Landsat 1, 2, and 3 Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data provided by the By 1976, the lake had transitioned to “Small Lake Chad.” It had separated into two areas: the northern basin and the southern basin, divided by a shallow sill called the Great Barrier. Its surface area varies by season as well as from year to year. The freshwater lake is located in the Sahelian zone of West-central Africa. This document is subject to copyright. The Guinean musician who wants to run for presidentEthiopian migrants held in squalid conditions in Saudi ArabiaNigerian government critic still missing one year on “It is a huge thing.