Satellite-based identification of linked vegetation index and sea surface temperature anomaly areas from 1982-1990 for Africa, Australia and South America

Meteorological satellite data from 1982 to 1990 were used to identify areas of significant association between tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) and remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) anomalies, here taken as a surrogate for rainfall anomalies. During this period, large areas of arid and semi-arid Africa, Australia and South America experienced NDVI anomalies directly correlated to tropical Pacific SST anomalies. The results are limited by the relatively short time period of analysis. However, they confirm the disruptive effects of large-scale tropical Pacific SST variations on arid and semiarid continental rainfall patterns in Africa, Australia, and South America, as reported previously.