A unified monsoon index

[1] There are several monsoon regions in the world. Some monsoon indices have been proposed to describe their variability, but a unified monsoon index suitable for all known monsoon regions has not yet been found. Here we present a unified dynamical index of monsoon, the dynamical normalized seasonality (DNS), and carry out an analysis of observation data over the past 40 years. The analysis shows that the DNS index can characterize the seasonal cycle and interannual variability of monsoons over different areas very well. The South Asia summer monsoon (SASM) sector (5degrees-22.5degreesN, 35degrees-97.5degreesE) is composed of two independent components, SASM1 (2.5degrees-20degreesN, 35degrees-70degreesE) and SASM2 (2.5degrees-20degreesN, 70degrees-110degreesE), with quite different relations with the monsoon rainfall over the South Asia. The African summer monsoon (ASM) is dominated by variability on the decadal time-scale, and its decadal abrupt decrease in 1967 may be an important cause of the persistent drought over the Sahel region. It is also found that there is a remarkable global correlation pattern between the South China Sea summer monsoon index (SCSSMI) and global precipitation during boreal summer.