Variations in the size of the Sahara Desert from 1980 to 1997

Satellite data and ground rainfall measurements have been used to study var iations in the size of the Sahara Desert from 1980 to 1997. Through a combi nation of the satellite and ground data, the 200 mm yr(-1) precipitation bo undary was mapped for the Saharan-Sahelian region by year. Although highly significant year-to-year variation in the size of the Sahara Desert has occ urred, no systematically increasing or decreasing trend from 1980 to 1997 w as evident, The area of the Sahara Desert varied from 9 980 000 km(2) in 19 84 to km(2) in 8 600 000 1994 and had an average 1980-1997 area of 9 150 00 0 km(2).