On the spatial coherence of rainfall over the Saloum delta (Senegal) from seasonal to decadal time scales

Rainfall over the Saloum Delta in Senegal exhibits significant spatial coherence, particularly during the summer monsoon season. This coherence extends across the western Sahel and, at interannual to decadal scales, reaches as far as the Red Sea, driven primarily by the zonal expansion of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The study, which analyzed seasonal to decadal rainfall patterns, found that while winter episodic rainfall is more localized, summer monsoon rainfall shows broad consistency. This spatial coherence is influenced by sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and North Pacific. However, consistency diminishes during the onset phase of the West African Monsoon.

Wade, M., Mignot, J., Lazar, A., Gaye, A. T., & Carré, M. (2015). On the spatial coherence of rainfall over the Saloum delta (Senegal) from seasonal to decadal time scales. Frontiers in Earth Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2015.00030