Intertropical Convergence Zone in September

The Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ is where winds coming down from the northern regions meet the winds coming up from the south. It is a band of somewhat turbulent cloudy weather moving east to west which circles the globe near the equator. It moves up and down with the seasons. This is a my attempt at a simple explanation anyhow. A fuller explanation can be found on Wikipedia.

Why is it important to us here in Guyana? Because as it moves over Guyana it is largely responsible for our rainy seasons. Which brings me to the nice picture I took off the BBC weather web site on the 22nd. The ITCZ was hanging around our latitude for longer than usual right up to mid-August. It is now well north of us and our weather much drier - see the green dots on the picture along the top marking the band of cloud where the ITCZ is located now.

In a few months it is expected to drift south again bringing our next rainy season in November.

It is of little interest to US media where most of our television originates which may explain why few people here seem to know about it. However there is a good explanation of its effect on the Hydromet web site.

Caves in Guyana

Are there any caves in Guyana? Very few it seems which is not too surprising given the lack of suitable geology.

There is one cave under Kaieteur Falls.

There are also a few caves in the Roraima area (see picture) including one called the Oil Bird Cave. I am not sure if all these are in Guyana.

Note: there seems to be several caves called Oil Bird Cave. Oil Birds live in colonies in caves in this part of the world.

Links
http://www.wilderness-explorers.com/guyvenez.htm
http://www.mathiaskessler.com/island-of-time-roraima/index.html

Education on the rise world-wide

Some really good news - many more people around the world are getting a better education now than previously. According to a recent report:

"More than 61 percent of individuals 15 or older—just over 3 billion people—finished at least some secondary school during their lifetimes as of 2010. This proportion has risen from 36 percent in 1970 and from 50 percent in 1990."

This is supported by figures for enrolment in primary education from the UN. It seems to me that this is very encouraging trend which has huge and very positive implications. Yet the media seems not to be talking about it. Their focus needs to cover both positive and negative ...