Where the Least Rainfall Occurs in the Sahara Desert, the TRMM Radar Reveals a Different Pattern of Rainfall Each Season

Abstract

ome previous studies were unable to detect seasonal organization to the rainfall in the Sahara Desert, while others reported seasonal patterns only in the less-arid periphery of the Sahara. In contrast, the precipitation radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite detects four rainy seasons in the part of the Sahara where the TRMM radar saw the least rainfall during a 15-yr period (1998?2012). According to the TRMM radar, approximately 20°?27°N, 22°?32°E is the portion of the Sahara that has the lowest average annual rain accumulation (1?5 mm yr?1). Winter (January and February) has light rain throughout this region but more rain to the north over the Mediterranean Sea. Spring (April and May) has heavier rain and has lightning observed by the TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Summer rain and lightning (July and August) occur primarily south of 23°N. At a maximum over the Red Sea, autumn rain and lightning (October and November) can be heavy in the northeastern portion of the study area, but these storms are unreliable: that is, the TRMM radar detects such storms in only 6 of the 15 years. These four rainy seasons are each separated by a comparatively drier month in the monthly rainfall climatology. The few rain gauges in this arid region broadly agree with the TRMM radar on the seasonal organization of rainfall. This seasonality is reason to reevaluate the idea that Saharan rainfall is highly irregular and unpredictable.