Publication Date:
2021-05-19
Description:
This study is an analysis of AGCM model results to understand the dynamics of the response
of precipitation over southern Africa (SA) to anomalies in the sea surface temperature (SST) over
the Pacific Ocean. The dipole pattern of interannual precipitation anomaly over SA and its temporal
variations are quite similar in both the ensemble mean of the control (where the AGCM is
forced with observed SST’s in all ocean basins) and experimental runs (where the AGCM is forced
with seasonally varying climatological SST over the Pacific Ocean). However the amplitude of the
variability is found to be relatively reduced in the experimental runs. This is shown to be a result
of the modulation of the Walker circulation by the variability of Pacific Ocean SST. The regional
teleconnection pattern between the dominant mode of SA precipitation variability and SST anomalies
over eastern Indian Ocean is also influenced by the variations in Pacific SST. The nature of the
teleconnection between SA precipitation and eastern Indian SST is apparent only when the Pacific
SST variability is excluded.
Description:
Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies
Institute of Global Environment and Society, Inc. - Calverton
Description:
Published
Keywords:
Sea surface temperature
;
Precipitation (meteorology)
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
Report
,
Non-Refereed
Format:
58088 bytes
Format:
application/pdf
Permalink
