Interannual Variability of the Rainy Season and Rainfall in the Brazilian Amazon Basin

Interannual variability of seasonal rainfall in the Brazilian Amazon basin is examined in context of its relationship to sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Linear correlations reveal strong relationships, but rainfall patterns are of regional scale. Areas of rainfa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of climate 2001-11, Vol.14 (22), p.4308-4318
Main Authors: Liebmann, Brant, Marengo, José A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate
Dry seasons
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Marine
Meteorology
Oceans
Rain
Rainfall
Rainy season
Rainy seasons
Seasons
Temperature
Water in the atmosphere (humidity, clouds, evaporation, precipitation)
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Summary:Interannual variability of seasonal rainfall in the Brazilian Amazon basin is examined in context of its relationship to sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Linear correlations reveal strong relationships, but rainfall patterns are of regional scale. Areas of rainfall exhibiting strong relationships with SST are confined to the equatorial region of the Brazilian Amazon. The best relationships are found either during the season of transition between wet and dry regimes, or entirely within the dry season. It is hypothesized, and results are shown in support, that during the transition seasons, an important contributor to the SST control on seasonal totals is its influence on the timing on the rainy season onset or end. That influence appears to be stronger than the SST influence on the rainy season rain rate.
ISSN:0894-8755
1520-0442
DOI:10.1175/1520-0442(2001)014<4308:IVOTRS>2.0.CO;2