At  Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Calfornia,  Dr Warren B. White researches global oceanography including our region.

His research papers can be read at his web site, see links page for references to his work.

Dr White has analyzed decades of ocean meteorological data and portrays cycles that relate to fluctuations in Australian rainfall.
He sees cooler sea surface temperatures (SST's) associated with less rain and vice versa.

This diagram shows 40 years of cycles in rainfall in various Australian regions and is from Dr. White's paper,  White, W.B., 2000, Influence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave  on Australian Precipitation from 1958 to 1997, J. Clim., 13, 2125-2141.  To read this paper in pdf format see links page for web address.

The next diagram is from Dr. White's web pages and show forecasts for Australian rainfall a year ahead.

Dr. White's forecast for Western Australia confirms the impression from looking at rainfall history graphs, that now we are experiencing cyclic dry years and that 2001 may have been the trough of the cycle and future years should bring us to wetter swings in the cycle.

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