Rainfall atlas

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have created the world's first comprehensive visual atlas of global rainfall projections over the next 100 years, based on all of the models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its most recent report.

PhD researcher Wee Ho Lim and Dr Michael Roderick from the ANU created the Atlas of the Global Water Cycle, which contains some 300 pages of global maps and tables showing current and projected measures of rainfall, evaporation and run-off.

The atlas illustrates the projections of each of the 20 computer models used by different countries to forecast future water cycles – data drawn upon by the IPCC in its reports on climate change, but not visualised in the same way and place until now.

Roderick said: 'We know that as the world warms there is likely to be more rainfall on a global average basis. But where is this increased rainfall going to occur, and which areas might get drier? These are simple questions to ask, but it is surprisingly hard for an individual to get an answer.