Regional Model Studies of African Waves and Sahel Climate Variability

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Under this award, the PIs will study the climatology and interannual variability of African easterly wave disturbances as simulated by a 50 km resolution Regional Climate Model (RCM). Multiple 4-month RCM simulations will be undertaken. The PI will examine the physical processes responsible for the Atlantic sector African climate variability and predictability on seasonal, interannual and decadal time scales. The RCM will be used in a purely predictive mode with persistent SSTA and GCM-predicted lateral boundary conditions. Work will be undertaken in collaboration with the Niger Meteorological Service. In the final phase of the project, the climate response to greenhouse gas buildup will also be studied. The work is important because it will increase our knowledge of west African climate variability and predictability. This could have important societal impacts.