The following images show rainfall averages on a monthly time scale for territory beneath TRMM's ground track. About two thirds of all the Earth's rain falls in the tropics. Moreover, the energy released by that rain accounts for the vast majority of energy released in the atmosphere. As we come to better understand the rain on a planetary scale, we also begin to understand the processes describing localized rainfall events around the world. The following visualizations show rainfall anomalies-that is, regions with rainfall amounts that significantly exceed or fall short of averages.
Blue regions show low quantities, while yellows and reds show high quantities.
Notice how there is generally very little distance separating high and low regions. While we might expect to see a gradual transition between regions of anomalous highs and lows, the two usually appear together. Conversely, regions showing unusually little rain must lose its moisture and heat to somewhere. In close proximity to each other, each of the diametrically opposite conditions appear precisely because of their opposite twin. To see an example of this in action, watch this sequence with a close eye on the central Pacific Ocean.