State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: A-47 Rainfall deficiencies - drought

Data

Rainfall Deficiencies: 3 months, 1 March to 31 May 2005

Rainfall Deficiencies: 3 months, 1 March to 31 May 2005

Source: Bureau of Meteorology 2005, Australian rainfall anomalies: 36 months Departure from 36-monthly mean (1961-1990 base period), viewed 13 Sep 2006, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/rainmaps.cgi?page=mapandvariable=anomaliesandperiod=36monthandarea=aus.

Rainfall Deficiencies: 36 months, 1 August 2002 to 31 July 2005

Rainfall Deficiencies: 36 months, 1 August 2002 to 31 July 2005

Source: Bureau of Meteorology 2005, Australian rainfall anomalies: 36 months Departure from 36-monthly mean (1961-1990 base period), viewed 13 Sep 2006, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/rainmaps.cgi?page=mapandvariable=anomaliesandperiod=36monthandarea=aus.

Season quality in Australia, based on a comparison of years of Normalised Vegetation Difference Index anomalies

Season quality in Australia, based on a comparison of years of Normalised Vegetation Difference Index anomalies

Source: ERIN 2006, Unpublished - 'Season quality in Australia'. Source of data is Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected by the NOAA AVHRR satellite.

What the data mean

The maps show the level of rainfall deficiency for Australia over the three months of autumn in 2005 and for the three years up to July 2005. The autumn 2005 map shows significant areas of serious and severe deficiency particularly in southern Australia with pockets of the lowest rainfall on record for autumn. The map showing the three years up to July 2005 indicates pockets of serious and severe deficiency in parts of south eastern Australia.

Data Limitations

Nil known

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Atmosphere — Climate variability and change - Weather 

This indicator shows the level of rainfall deficiency for Australia spatially and over time. This gives an indication of the level of drought conditions in Australia; drought being an ongoing factor for Australia’s climate patterns, which has important economic, social and environmental implications.

Other indicators for this issue:

Inland Waters — Catchment scale influences - Influence of climate variability and change 

This indicator shows the level of rainfall deficiency for Australia spatially and over time. This gives an indication of the level of drought conditions in Australia; drought being an ongoing factor for Australia’s climate patterns. These natural deficiencies and any more extreme variations or changes in the normal scope of variation that may result from anthropogenic climate change are important indicators for the pressure of this change on inland waters.

Other indicators for this issue:

Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Climate variability 

This indicator shows the level of rainfall deficiency for Australia spatially and over time. This gives an indication of the level of drought conditions in Australia; drought being an ongoing factor for Australia’s climate patterns. These natural deficiencies and any more extreme variations or changes in the normal scope of variation that may result from anthropogenic climate change are important indicators for the pressure of this change on biodiversity.

Other indicators for this issue:

Further Information

Source: Mantua NJ and Hare SR 2002, The Pacific decadal oscillation.

Source: Power S, Casey T, Folland C, Colman A, Mehta V 1999, Inter-decadal modulation of the impact of ENSO on Australia.

Source: IOCI 2002, Climate variability and change in south-west Western Australia, viewed 13 Sep 2006, http://www.ioci.org.au/publications/
pdf/IOCI_TechnicalReport02.pdf.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology 2005, Annual Australian Climate Summary 2004, Bureau of Meteorology, viewed 13 Sep 2006, http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/
media_releases/climate/change/20050106.shtml.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology 2005, Australian rainfall anomalies: 36 months Departure from 36-monthly mean (1961-1990 base period), viewed 13 Sep 2006, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/rainmaps.cgi?
page=mapandvariable=anomaliesandperiod=36monthandarea=aus.

Source: Singh G and Geissler EA 1985, Late Cainozoic history of vegetation, fire, lake level and climate of Lake George, Royal Society, London.

Source: Lough JM 2003, Lessons from the past: climate from corals, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, p. 28-34

Source: Botterill LC 2003, Beyond drought in Australia: the way forward, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, p. 107-207

Source: Lovett JV 1973, The Environmental, Economic and Social Significance of Drought, Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Source: McKeon GM, Hall WB, Henry BK, Stone GS and Watson IW 2004, Pasture Degradation and Recovery in Australia's Rangelands: Learning from History, Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Indooroopilly, Qld.

Source: Whetton P and Suppiah R 2003, Climate change projections and drought, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, p. 130-136

Source: CSIRO Atmospheric Research 2001, Climate Change Projections for Australia, viewed 22 Mar 2006, http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/projections2pp.pdf

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