Climat et cycle de lʹeau en zone tropicale : un problème dʹéchelle

The climate of the tropics is characterized by a strong interaction between the land surface conditions and the monsoon dynamics controlling the formation of precipitation. The water cycle of these regions is thus both a controlling factor and a depending factor of the climate dynamics. West Africa, which suffered the most extensive and severe drought worldwide in the 20th century, may be viewed as a paradigm for studying this interaction. One major issue when trying to relate climate to the water cycle is the scale gap between the models commonly used for climate simulations and the models used for hydrological studies. To cite this article: T. Lebel, T. Vischel, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).