Summary
This paper uses the concise summary obtained from a two part model of daily rainfall to compare the rainfall climate of eleven places on a north-south transect in West Africa. The number of rainy days is analysed separately from the amounts of rain. Curves are fitted to the probability of rain and these curves are geographically consistent. The mean length of dry spells and of wet spells vary systematically during the year. In the rainy season there is a nearly constant mean interval of about 4 days between the start of successive rainy spells. The amounts of rain are described by gamma distributions. The mean rainfall per rainy day is relatively constant and variation in the probability of rain is therefore the most important component of seasonal variation and of differences between places.
Zusammenfassung
Die Arbeit bringt eine Zusammenfassung der mit einem zweiteiligen Modell des täglichen Niederschlags zum Vergleich des Regenklimas von 11 Orten in einem Nord-Süd-Schnitt durch Westafrika erhaltenen Ergebnisse. Die Zahl der Regentage wurde gesondert von den Regenmengen analysiert. Es wurden Kurven der Wahrscheinlichkeit von Regen angepaßt; diese Kurven sind geographisch vereinbar. Die mittlere Länge der Trockenperioden und der Feuchteperioden variiert systematisch im Jahresgang. In der Regenzeit besteht ein nahezu konstantes mittleres Intervall von 4 Tagen zwischen dem Beginn aufeinanderfolgender Regenperioden. Regenmengen werden durch Gamma-Verteilungen beschrieben. Die mittlere Regenmenge pro Regentag ist verhältnismäßig konstant und die Änderung der Regenwahrscheinlichkeit ist daher die bedeutendste Komponente der jahreszeitlichen Änderung und der Differenzen zwischen den Orten.
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Garbutt, D.J., Stern, R.D., Dennett, M.D. et al. A comparison of the rainfall climate of eleven places in West Africa using a two-part model for daily rainfall. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biocl., Ser. B 29, 137–155 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02278197
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02278197