RELATIONSHIP OF INDONESIAN DROUGHT AND ENSO

JTM VOLUME IX NO3./2002

RELATIONSHIP OF INDONESIAN DROUGHT AND ENSO
by Bayong Tjasyono HK.*, The Houw liong**, P. A. Winarso***, Kartika L.*, Zadrach L. D.*, Plato M. S.*
*) Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, ITB
**) Department of Physics, ITB
***) Meteorological and Geophysical Agency, Jakarta

Abstract
Drought periods in the Indonesian maritime continent are affected by ENSO (El Niño – Southern Oscillation) events at the equatorial Pacific and the west coast of South America. During June to September 1997, many areas of Indonesia located mainly south of the equator and near Australian Continent suffered lack of sufficient water to meet requirement i. e. less than 60 mm per month. ENSO affects the activity of rainfall mainly in the eastern part rather than in the western part of the Indonesian maritime continen. The amount of rainfall in the ENSO event of 1997 is less, on the contrary the number of drought area is greater then that in the pre and post – ENSO events. Average dry pentad probability knowing the preceding two dry pentads increases from 15th pentad up to 50th pentad.

Keywords : Drought, ENSO, rainfall