A study of a global precipitation database spanning the years 1940-2009 suggests that over approximately 14% of the Earth's surface, particularly in Africa's Sahel region, annual precipitation depends on the previous year's precipitation, whereas over 76% of the Earth's surface, no such dependence exists, providing a framework for assessing long-lasting changes in rainfall by considering natural variability.
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Article #17-05349: "Rainfall statistics, stationarity, and climate change," by Fubao Sun, Michael L. Roderick, and Graham D. Farquhar.
MEDIA CONTACT: Michael L. Roderick, Australian National University, Canberra, AUSTRALIA; tel: +61-2-6125-0917, +61-2-6253-2140; e-mail: Michael.Roderick@anu.edu.au
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences