Saturday, March 5, 2011

Something NEW for Gardeners to WORRY about: ITCZ

InterTropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ is a shifting area of tropical weather along with its bountiful rainfall. To see it in action, visit this VERY COOL link:
http://daphne.palomar.edu/pdeen/Animations/23_WeatherPat.swf  (Be sure and click all 4 buttons, then the arrow key to activate the map. It's the best animation of this phenomenon I've ever seen!)

That doesn't seem like much to worry about....until you read an article in the latest Scientific American. Research seems to suggest a northward shift of this area during the upcoming century.  This would mean the dry subtropical band above it would also shift from its current location in northern Mexico to places like..uh...here and Arizona. 
I really hope this is not true. Drought is such a horrid thing to gardeners, foresters, farmers, and the wildlife.

In the meantime, I'm glad for the beautiful signs of Spring all around.
Carolina Laurel Cherry now in bloom! :-) David/

4 comments:

  1. That was a cool graphic~We are having huge rain events in the Southeast and I expect we'll have the droughts each summer that are also predicted...Must get a cistern! Nice Cherry laurel bloom. gail

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  2. Very interesting blooms... I can almost picture it under water, among coral ;-)

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  3. Hey, David. Don't forget that it's the nature of a gardener to adapt to changing conditions. Even if your region becomes a desert, you'll figure out how to make it bloom.

    -- Penny

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  4. Hi Penny,
    Yes, that's a good way to look at it!
    I don't think it will become that bad, but maybe drier like Austin Texas.
    David/

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I always appreciate your comments & questions! Happy Gardening from David/ Tropical Texana

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