Tuesday, 11 February 2003: 5:15 PM
	Euro-Mediterranean rainfall and ENSO—a seasonally varying relationship
	
	
	
	
	
		Using observational datasets and atmospheric reanalyses, we show that
            interannual variability of rainfall in the Euro-Mediterranean sector is
            significantly influenced by ENSO in a way that is seasonally varying. Spatially
            coherent correlation patterns are found in central and eastern Europe during
            winter and spring, and in western Europe and the Mediterranean region during
            autumn and spring.
            A composite  analysis of ENSO events indicates that during an El Nino western
            Mediterranean rainfall has a 10% increase (decrease) in the autumn preceeding
            (spring after) the mature phase of an event, corresponding to a rainy season
            arriving (retreating) earlier compared to the climatology. The atmospheric
            reanalyses show that an anomalous
            atmospheric circulation and moisture transport extending from the Atlantic
            Ocean into the Euro-Mediterranean region accompanies the observed rainfall
            anomalies. Multidecadal variations characterize the ENSO Euro-Mediterranean
            relationship during the 20th century.
	
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