BY NAZIFI UMAR 11212533

SUBMITTED TO

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Mr. AMANDEEP SINGH

GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT LPU

LOCAL WINDS AND THEIR HARNESS (A LEGACY FROM NIGERIA)

- NIGERIA - DEFINITION AND TYPES OF WIND - FORCES GOVERNING THE MOVEMENT OF AIR - WIND TYPOLOGY OVER NIGERIA - HUNTURU - BAZARA - ITCZ - ATEGUN ALE/ASALE - ATEGUN OSAN - CATABATIC WIND - ANABATIC WIND - CONCLUSION

Air moves vertically and horizontally, but air moving horizontally parallel to the earth surface due to differences in pressure is called wind. There are two major types of wind systems; -Planetary winds: These are wind systems that occur at macro scale affecting larger area of the earth surface e.g. Easterlies and trade winds. -Local winds: These are wind systems that occur at micro to meso scales affecting particular part of the earth surface due to certain environmental factors acting upon the area. E.g. Foehn, Typhoon, Country breeze etc.

1- Pressure gradient force 2- coriolis force 3- Frictional force 4- Centrifugal force 5- Gravitational force In the following pages we will see how these forces and other environmental factors brought different wind types over Nigeria and how they are harnessed in the country.

Nigeria is a tropical country not more than 40 North of the equator and also part of the Monsoon regions of the world, therefore it experience the blow of North easterly trade during winters and South westerly trade during summers.

Due to size and disparity in physiography between regions, the country develop some local wind systems at micro levels. The following are the winds experience in Nigeria

Origin In winter the Sun is over the tropic of Capricorn and this leads to the development of low pressure belt in the Southern hemisphere and high pressure belt in the Northern hemisphere, therefore wind blows from the north to south ward direction, Coriolis force deflect the wind to North west direction. This wind is called Hunturu (Hamatarn) in Northern Nigeria where it strike first at early September.

Characteristics The wind blow from North-east direction The wind has a speed of approximately 50Km per hour The wind blows from over the Sahara desert The wind is dry with little or zero moisture The wind is dusty and speedy The wind push the moist and water bearing tropical maritime air mass south ward The wind is less impeded by mountain barriers The wind brought cool weather condition to the country The wind causes thick fog in Nigeria especially the North

-Hamatarn mark the end of the rainy season. -Hamatarn dried the ripened fruits. -Hamatarn help in growing cold loving crops like wheat -Hamatarn remove the very hot weather of Northern Nigeria from September to Late February. -Hamatarn affect transportation by bringing poor visibility especially in the north -The wind is used for water pumping -The wind is used for electricity generation

Origin In summer when the sun is at the tropic of Cancer the low pressure belt shift to the North and therefore wind blows from the South North ward. Coriolis force deflect the wind direction to the South west. This wind is called Bazara in Northern Nigeria and it cover southern Nigeria in February before it reach the North in mid-May.

Characteristics The wind blow from the South-west direction The wind has a speed of approximately 25Km per hour The wind blows from over the Atlantic Ocean The wind is moist and high humidity The wind is clean and lower than Hamatarn in velocity The wind push Tropical continental air mass North ward The wind is well affected by mountain barriers The wind brought warm condition through out the country The wind brought rain and cloudy skies through out the country

-The wind mark the end of the dry season in the country -The wind determine the sowing and growing time of crops -The wind determine most of the crop type to be grown in the country -The wind remove the cold and dusty weather of the Hamatarn

-The wind facilitate navigation of many rivers by recharging them with water -The wind determine the length the growing season in Nigeria -The wind is used for electricity generation in the country

Hunturu and Bazara in Nigeria are converging in a region of equatorial law and this causes the ascending of moist hot air and consequently abundant precipitation. This region is the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone of the Hadley temperature driven cell. The ITCZ shift from South to North and from north to south over Nigeria from February to December. The position of this zone determine the extent of where it affected by dry or rainy season.

Tc

I T C Z

Tm

Origin In Jos plateau and some other mountainous areas of Nigeria the winds at valley bottom heated more intensely than the adjacent air at the mountain top during the night. This make a funnelling effect where the wind glide down the mountain slope. This wind called Catabatic wind produce radiational fog in valleys especially in dry seasons. Some times ejection of cold air from above reduce the temperature below and balance the condition. This wind moves at average speed of11-14 Km per hour

Origin In the day time the hill top of these mountainous areas is heated more than the valley bottom and by so the wind is blown up ward. This wind in many times release smoke like appearance and in short time produces cloud and rain which makes Jos plateau wetter than the surrounding plain. This wind moves at an average speed of 4-7Km per hour

*Catabatic wind make its areas of appearance with better condition than the surrounding especially in the North.

*Anabatic wind increase the growing period of the affected areas. *They both provide better condition for long time farming in the affected areas.

During the day time especially in summers the coast of Nigeria is heated more than the adjacent sea and this leads to the development of low pressure belt over the land and therefore wind blow from the Atlantic ocean to Nigerian coast. This type of Sea breeze moves at an average speed of 14-30 Km per hours and affect the are of almost 20km in the hinterland.

In the night time the Atlantic ocean become warmer than the Nigerian coast and this generate the flow of wind from the land sea ward. This kind of land breeze moves at a speed of 360-1080Km per hour. This wind moves to almost 20Km into the Atlantic ocean.

.These winds help fisher men in Nigerian coast to move freely into the ocean in the night and free return during the day. The winds refresh Nigerian coast from high heat of the equatorial regions
The

winds encourage workers in Nigerian coast to work 24/7 The winds is well used for the electrification of coastal areas

In essence, there is development of different wind systems globally, as the wind driven forces are working everywhere. These winds also bring different potentialities. In Nigeria there is development of local winds that are harnessing in a developmental way, even though there are a lot to do for the maximization of their benefit. Much to emulate in this harness of wind resource.

S.I

Oguntoyimbo (1980) Systematic Geography of Nigeria Ahir R.(2011) Geography Spectrum publishers Lutgens, Tarbuck and Tarsa (2012) The Atnosphere Lal D.S (2012) Climatology Richfield H.J (3013) General Climatology Encyclopaedia Britannica Encarta Encyclopaedia Wikkipedia.com

DHANYABAAD