Annual and Interannual Rainfall Variability in Indonesia Using Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) Analysis and Its Response to Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics

Abstract

We investigate rainfall variability in Indonesia using the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) method. The analysis starts by taking three main modes of EOF results, namely EOF1, EOF2, and EOF3. The EOF1 region is southern Indonesia, from southern Sumatra to Timor Island, parts of Kalimantan, parts of Sulawesi, and parts of Irian Jaya. The EOF2 region is located in northwestern Indonesia and includes the northern part of Sumatra and the northwestern part of Kalimantan. The EOF3 region covers Maluku. This study aims to analyze the annual and inter-annual variability of rainfall in anticipation of the threat of hydrometeorological disasters. Based on the correlation value of the principal component (PC) with the dipole mode index (DMI) and Niño3.4 index, it has a period similar to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Rainfall in Indonesia is very sensitive to sea surface temperature (SST) in the southeastern Indian Ocean and the central Pacific Ocean, which means that rainfall patterns in Indonesia can change significantly if SST in the region changes.

Keywords

• Rainfall
• Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics
• EOF
• Annual
• Interannual
• Rainfall Variability