We have also collected monthly rainfall records from a
number of stations throughout both Papua New Guinea (15)
and West Irian (4) (Table 2). These are long-term records,
but are not always continuous or complete. Nevertheless, we
have assembled seasonal (i.e., JFM, AMJ, JAS, and OND)
rainfall totals for as many years as possible post-1950.
Where there are isolated missing values, we have infilled
using the estimates of the long-term average monthly
mean values.
Zhou and Wang [2006] used TRMM data to study the diurnal
cycle of rainfall over the New Guinea region and identified the
relatively complex interaction between convective activity,
land-sea breezes, and orography. Chang et al. [2005] used
TRMM data to demonstrate a strong relationship between
rainfall and winds over much of south-east Asia, including
West Irian.