An Advanced Review of the Relationships between Sahel Precipitation and Climate Indices : A Wavelet Approach

Abstract EN

The interannual and decadal to multidecadal variability of precipitation in western Sahel region was examined using wavelet transform and coherency analysis.

The aim was to identify the major climate index that has a robust relationship with Sahel precipitation (drought).

The results show that ENSO, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) all have some relationship with precipitation at different time scales which is in agreement with recent studies.

There is an antiphase relationship between Sahel precipitation and ENSO at the 3-4-year band localized around 1982/83 El Niño episode.

This indicates a cause and effect relationship between the droughts of 1983 and 1982/83 El Niño.

In addition, wavelet transform coherence analysis also revealed a relatively antiphase relationship between AMO and precipitation signifying cause and effect.

The wavelet analyses indicate that IOD control on rainfall variability in Sahel is limited to the east (15°E–35°E).

Advancing this understanding of variability in rainfall and climate forcing could improve the accuracy of rainfall forecast.