Droughts in Homogeneous Areas of South America and Associated Processes during the Months of Austral Spring and Summer

Droughts that occurred in selected areas located in homogeneous regions of South America during the austral springs(SON)and summers(DJF)from 1982 to 2019 are identified using the Standard Precipitation Index(SPI).Four areas were analyzed for droughts in SON,and three areas were analyzed for droughts in DJF.The areas in the Amazon suffered from the majority of their droughts during El Niño years,while most of the droughts in the areas of southern Brazil,Uruguay,and North Argentina occurred during La Niña years.In southeastern and central-western parts of Brazil,droughts occurred during both phases of El Nino-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)and also during neutral years.Thus,other processes besides ENSO are likely related to the observed droughts.The droughts were investigated for each area and month,and composites of atmospheric and oceanic variables during both seasons were analyzed for the selected cases.Regional and large-scale field composites were examined to identify the main processes associated with dry conditions in the different areas.Regional features were related to the influence of high pressure over southern and southeastern areas and the divergence of moisture flux in all areas.Meridional circulations contributed to subsidence over the dry regions.The large-scale influential features include SST anomalies,wavetrains over the South Pacific Ocean with centers of action over South America that produced subsidence in the study areas,and convection anomalies in the Maritime continent and surrounding areas.Therefore,the droughts were associated with a combination of regional and large-scale features that produced subsidence over the analyzed regions.