what causes crippling drought in the southeastern states?
The answer, they say, lies far away in the Indian Ocean and is not directly driven by El Nino events, as previously thought. “Our findings will help to improve seasonal rainfall forecasts and therefore directly benefit water and agricultural management,” Caroline Ummenhofer, a post doctoral fellow at the University of NSW, said. The group of Australian scientists, who made the discovery, has detailed for the first time how a variable and irregular cycle of warming and cooling of ocean water dictates whether moisture-bearing winds are carried across the southern half of Australia. The phenomenon, known as the Indian Ocean Dipole, has been in its positive or neutral phase since 1992 – the longest period of its kind since records began in the late 19th Century, according to the study. “When the IOD is in its negative phase, a pattern occurs with cool Indian Ocean water west of Australia and warm Timor Sea water to the north. This generates winds that pick up moisture from the ocean and th
