Nature and causes of protracted droughts in southeast Australia: comparison between the Federation, WWII, and Big Dry droughts

Title: Nature and causes of protracted droughts in southeast Australia: comparison between the Federation, WWII, and Big Dry droughts
Creator: Verdon-Kidd D. C.; Kiem, Anthony S.
Relation: Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 36
Publisher Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009gl041067
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Resource Type: journal article
Date: 2009
Description: Three protracted droughts have occurred during the instrumental history of Southeast Australia (SEA) – the "Federation" (~1895–1902), "World War II" (~1937–1945) and the "Big Dry" (~1997–present). This paper compares the nature and causes of these droughts in order to better inform drought management strategies in SEA. It is shown that the three droughts differ in terms of severity, spatial footprint, seasonality and seasonal rainfall make-up. This diversity arises due to the fact that the droughts are driven by different climatic teleconnections with the Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans. Importantly, this study highlights potential flaws with drought forecasting and management in SEA and emphasises the need for further research into understanding and representing hydroclimatic drivers of drought.
Subject: drought; Southeast Australia; climate variability; Big Dry
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/925421
Identifier: uon:6946
Identifier: ISSN:0094-8276
Language: eng
Reviewed

		Thumbnail	File	Description	Size	Format