Ocean - Monsoon interactions around Africa

The paper analyses how monsoon circulations of the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans interact over Africa. A principal component analysis of sea surface temp, pressure and wind is performed and key areas are identified for time series analysis using continous wavelet transform. The inter-annual time scale is our focus, based on monthly data filtered to remove cycles < 1.5 years. Comparisons are made between thermodynamic and kinematic indices at simultaneous and seasonal lead times. Zonal temperature gradients in the tropics either side of Africa induce variations in convective overturning, of significance to terrestrial climate impacts. The asymmetrical nature of monsoon responses either side of Africa is highlighted. Unravelling monsoon - ocean interactions and ENSO-modulation will help define levels of predictability that can be achieved.