Interannual Tasmanian Rainfall Variability Associated with Large-Scale Climate Modes

Abstract

Abstract Interannual rainfall variability over Tasmania is examined using observations and reanalysis data. Tasmanian rainfall is dominated by an east–west gradient of mean rainfall and variability. The Pacific–South American mode (PSA), El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the southern annular mode (SAM) each show clear influences on the interannual variability of Tasmanian rainfall. Composites of rainfall during each phase of ENSO and the PSA suggest a notable islandwide influence of these climate modes on Tasmanian rainfall. In contrast, the positive phase of the SAM is associated with drier conditions over the west of the island. The PSA and the SAM project most prominently over the southwest of the island, whereas the ENSO signature is strongest in the north. Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of rainfall over Tasmania show a leading mode (explaining 72% of total variance) of coherent islandwide in-phase anomalies with dominant periods of 2 and 5 yr. The second EOF accounts for ∼14% of total variation, characterized by out-of-phase east–west anomalies, which is likely a combination of all three modes. The EOF1 mode can be attributed to ENSO, the PSA, and to a lesser extent the SAM.