A complexity view of rainfall.
We show that rain events are analogous to a variety of nonequilibrium relaxation processes in Nature such as earthquakes and avalanches. Analysis of high-resolution rain data reveals that power laws describe the number of rain events versus size and number of droughts versus duration. In addition, the accumulated water column displays scale-less fluctuations. These statistical properties are the fingerprints of a self-organized critical process and may serve as a benchmark for models of precipitation and atmospheric processes.
Peters
Ole
O
Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW, United Kingdom.
Hertlein
Christopher
C
Christensen
Kim
K
D002980:Climate; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011891:Rain