Why is Australia Prone to Drought?
Australia is an extremely dry continent. This is because of a variety of factors. There is a persistent high pressure system located above central Australia. Cool water currents off the coast of Western Australia prevent rainfall in that part of the continent. Australia is also a very flat continent, which leads to reduced orographic rainfall. (Refer Topic 2, Chapter 1) A phenomenon responsible for rainfall variability in Australia is the El Nio Southern Oscillation system (ENSO). El Nio is an abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific, occurring every three to seven years. This causes ocean currents near Australia to be cooler, which supports the creation of high pressure systems. On the Australian continent, El Nio events are associated with increased probability of drier conditions. Some of Australia’s most devastating droughts have occurred during El Nio periods, including the 1914-1915 Drought, the severe 1982-1983 Drought, and the long El Nio Drought
