TY - JOUR A2 - Zanis, Prodromos AU - Nouaceur, Zeineddine AU - Murărescu, Ovidiu PY - 2016 DA - 2016/10/30 TI - Rainfall Variability and Trend Analysis of Annual Rainfall in North Africa SP - 7230450 VL - 2016 AB - The IPCC climate models predict, for the Maghreb countries, lower rainfall and increased aridity. Current observations in the three countries of central Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) are not consistent with these predictions. To demonstrate this new trend, a detailed regional analysis of rainfall evolution is conducted. This investigation is based on the calculation of the reduced centered index and the chronological graphical method of processing information (MGCTI) of “Bertin matrix” type. The results show extreme variability of this parameter and the severe past drought (more intense for Morocco, in which the drastic conditions from the seventies are observed). The results also show the beginning of a gradual return to wetter conditions since the early 2000s in Algeria and Tunisia and from 2008 for Morocco (this trend is confirmed by recent agricultural production data in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013). SN - 2314-4122 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7230450 DO - 10.1155/2016/7230450 JF - International Journal of Atmospheric Sciences PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -