THE ROLE OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN THE RAINFALL REGIME IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract

This study sought to understand the role of the surface temperatures of the ocean and continent in the variability of rains in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to the improvement of weather forecasting and prevention of extreme events in the region. Through perturbation experiments using a climate model of intermediate complexity, we seek to understand the roles of sea surface temperature (SST) of ocean basins around the sub-Saharan Africa and the surface temperature in Southern Africa, in defining the spatial distribution of Spatial distribution of rainfall in the region of action of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which assumes an approximate shape of an inverted S during the quarter December-January-February in this continent, due to connections with other systems of the same scale. By comparing the regional perturbation experiments of SST and the continental surface temperature with respect to the climatology we came to the conclusion that the SST in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans have major contribution in the formation of inverted S of precipitation than the continent's surface temperature. Comparing these two ocean basins, the Indian SST has predominant role in the climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa, modulating the position and intensity of the ITCZ and therefore the formation of their spatial distribution across the continent.