@article{fdi:010070017,
  title = {{C}haracteristics of wet and dry spells in the {W}est {A}frican monsoon system},
  author = {{F}roidurot, {S}t{\'e}phanie and {D}iedhiou, {A}rona},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{U}sing 17 years (1998-2014) of daily {TRMM} 3{B}42 rainfall data, we provide a climatological characterization of wet and dry spells in {W}est {A}frica, which should serve to assess the ability of climate model to simulate these high impact events. {T}he study focuses on four subregions ({W}estern and {C}entral {S}ahel, {S}udanian zone and {G}uinea {C}oast). {D}efining wet (dry) spells as sequences of consecutive days with precipitation higher (lower) than 1 mm, we describe the space-time variability of wet and dry spell occurrence. {T}his climatology stresses the influence of the relief on the number and duration of these spells. {T}he spatio-temporal variability of the wet and dry spells also appears to be closely related to the spatio-temporal variability of the {W}est {A}frican monsoon. {T}he number of wet spells of all durations and of 2-3 day dry spells have similar features with a maximum occurrence during the local rainy seasons and a spatial pattern similar to the mean annual rainfall with a north-south gradient. {I}n contrast, dry spells lasting more than four days show some singularities such as a low occurrence over the {S}ahelian band or high occurrence along the {G}uinea {C}oast mainly from {I}vory {C}oast to {B}enin. {M}oreover, the seasonal cycle of these longer dry spells presents higher occurrences at the beginning and the end of the rainy seasons.},
  keywords = {hydroclimatology ; {W}est {A}frica ; wet spells ; dry spells ; {AFRIQUE} {DE} {L}'{OUEST} ; {GUINEE} {GOLFE} ; {SAHEL} ; {ZONE} {SOUDANIENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}tmospheric {S}cience {L}etters},
  volume = {18},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {125--131},
  ISSN = {1530-261{X}},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.1002/asl.734},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070017},
}