Sulu Sea Satellite Images! 18 Mar 2009
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{News}090205! Indian Ocean is drought culprit
Indian Ocean is drought culprit Ben Cubby, Environment ReporterFebruary 5, 2009 THE main cause of our droughts and flooding rains has been traced to the waters of the Indian Ocean, according to a new report from the University of NSW which could overturn decades of weather research. The study shows that the cycle of El Nino and La Nina events, which have long been thought to play a major role in south-east Australia's weather patterns, are in fact less important than the Indian Ocean. It is likely to have major implications for predicting rainfall in the Murray-Darling region - still in the grip of the most severe drought on record - by giving farmers tip-offs about rainfall increases six months in advance. The current Indian Ocean warming pattern is unprecedented and probably related to climate change, researchers say. The report found that a phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean dipole plays a dominant role in determining temperature and rainfall in south-east Australia. It examin...
