Decadal to secular time scales variability in temperature measurements over France

Abstract

The influence of inter-decadal and secular variability on the annual mean air surface temperature variability over France is characterized for the period 1880-2005, together with a description of their regional distribution. After a descriptive study of temperature linear trends over the century, the oscillatory components of the series are investigated through continuous and discrete wavelet transform. This study reveals the importance of interdecadal time scales (40-60 and 60-80 years) and particularly the evolution of their phase shift in the latest epoch of the high temperatures rise over France (since1980). Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.