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Seasonality of South African rainfall: a note on its regional delimitation using spectral analysis

Der Jahresgang des Niederschlages in Südafrika: Seine regionale Abgrenzung mit Hilfe der Spektralanalyse

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Summary

Spectral analysis of extended monthly series of rainfall totals is suggested as a method of regional classification of rainfall regimes. By mapping both the variance associated with specific rainfall oscillations and the cross-spectral characteristics of observed rainfall series with that of a reference series of known phase, it is shown that the rainfall climatology of large areas can be precisely described in a quantitative manner. That this is so for South Africa is illustrated by the analysis of fifty years of monthly rainfall at 322 stations; the regional variation of rainfall regimes is clearly demonstrated.

Zusammenfassung

Die Spektralanalyse von langjährigen Reihen von Monatswerten des Niederschlages wird als Methode der regionalen Klassifizierung von Niederschlags-regimen vorgeschlagen. Es wird gezeigt, daß durch Kartendarstellung der Verteilung der an spezifische Niederschlagsschwankungen gebundenen Varianz und der Charakteristiken der Kreuzspektren der beobachteten Niederschlagsreihen in bezug auf eine Serie mit bekannter Phase des Niederschlagsklimas weiter Gebiete quantitativ genau beschrieben werden kann. Dies wird für Südafrika durch die Analyse der 50jährigen Monatswerte des Niederschlages von 322 Stationen veranschaulicht. Die regionale Variation der Niederschlagsregime wird damit klar dargelegt.

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Author notes

  1. Cecil S. Keen

    Present address: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

  2. Peter D. Tyson

    Present address: Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Peter D. Tyson

  2. Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 53201, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Cecil S. Keen &  Peter D. Tyson

Authors
  1. Cecil S. Keen
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  2. Peter D. Tyson
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Keen, C.S., Tyson, P.D. Seasonality of South African rainfall: a note on its regional delimitation using spectral analysis. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. B. 21, 207–214 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02243728

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02243728

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