@article{fdi:010054139,
  title = {{C}hanges in the interannual {SST}-forced signals on {W}est {A}frican rainfall. {AGCM} intercomparison},
  author = {{M}ohino, {E}. and {R}odriguez-{F}onseca, {B}. and {L}osada, {T}. and {G}ervois, {S}. and {J}anicot, {S}erge and {B}ader, {J}. and {R}uti, {P}. and {C}hauvin, {F}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}ainfall over {W}est {A}frica shows strong interannual variability related to changes in {S}ea {S}urface {T}emperature ({SST}). {N}evertheless, this relationship seem to be non-stationary. {A} particular turning point is the decade of the 1970s, which witnessed a number of changes in the climatic system, including the climate shift of the late 1970s. {T}he first aim of this study is to explore the change in the interannual variability of {W}est {A}frican rainfall after this shift. {T}he analysis indicates that the dipolar features of the rainfall variability over this region, related to changes in the {A}tlantic {SST}, disappear after this period. {A}lso, the {P}acific {SST} variability has a higher correlation with {G}uinean rainfall in the recent period. {T}he results suggest that the current relationship between the {A}tlantic and {P}acific {E}l {N}io phenomena is the principal responsible for these changes. {A} fundamental goal of climate research is the development of models simulating a realistic current climate. {F}or this reason, the second aim of this work is to test the performance of {A}tmospheric {G}eneral {C}irculation models in simulating rainfall variability over {W}est {A}frica. {T}he models have been run with observed {SST}s for the common period 1957-1998 as part of an intercomparison exercise. {T}he results show that the models are able to reproduce {G}uinean interannual variability, which is strongly related to {SST} variability in the {E}quatorial {A}tlantic. {N}evertheless, problems in the simulation of the {S}ahelian interannual variability appear: not all models are able to reproduce the observed negative link between rainfall over the {S}ahel and {E}l {N}io-like anomalies in the {P}acific, neither the positive correlation between {M}editerranean {SST}s and {S}ahelian rainfall.},
  keywords = {{I}nterannual climate variability ; {W}est {A}frican {M}onsoon ; {A}tmospheric ; general circulation models},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}limate {D}ynamics},
  volume = {37},
  numero = {9-10},
  pages = {1707--1725},
  ISSN = {0930-7575},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.1007/s00382-011-1093-2},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010054139},
}