Evapotranspiration, vapour pressure and climatic water deficit in Ethiopia mapped using GMT and TerraClimate dataset

Abstract

In the present research, a scripting cartographic technique for the environmental mapping of Ethiopia using climate and topographic datasets is developed. The strength of the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is employed for the effective visualisation of the seven maps using high-resolution data: GEBCO, TerraClimate, WorldClim, CRUTS 4.0 in 2018 by considering the solutions of map design. The role of topographic characteristics for climate variables (evapotranspiration, downward surface shortwave radiation, vapour pressure, vapour pressure deficit and climatic water deficit) is explained. Topographic variability of Ethiopia is illustrated for geographically dispersed and contrasting environmental setting in its various regions: Afar, Danakil Depression, Ethiopian Highlands, Great Rift Valley, lowlands and Ogaden Desert. The relationships between the environmental and topographic variables are investigated with aid of literature review and the outcomes are discussed. The maps are demonstrated graphically to highlight variables enabling to find correlations between the geographic phenomena, their distribution and intensity. The presented maps honor the environmental and topographic data sets within the resolution of the data. Integration of these results in the interpretation maps presented here brings new insights into both the variations of selected climate variables, and the topography of Ethiopia.

Keywords: cartography, climatic water deficit, environmental management, Ethiopia, evapotranspiration mapping, vapour pressure

JEL Classification: Y92, Q00, Q01, Q15, Q20, Q30, Q40, Q50, Q51, Q54, Q55, C00, C60, C61, C65, C80