Spatial distribution and trends of different precipitation variability indices based on daily data in Northern Chile between 1966 and 2015
Author
dc.contributor.author
Meseguer-Ruiz, Oliver
Author
dc.contributor.author
Ponce-Philimon, Paulina I.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Guijarro, Jose A.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Sarricolea, Pablo
Admission date
dc.date.accessioned
2019-10-30T15:18:46Z
Available date
dc.date.available
2019-10-30T15:18:46Z
Publication date
dc.date.issued
2019
Identifier
dc.identifier.issn
10970088
Identifier
dc.identifier.issn
08998418
Identifier
dc.identifier.other
10.1002/joc.6089
Identifier
dc.identifier.uri
https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/172107
Abstract
dc.description.abstract
Northern Chile is one of the most arid regions in the world, as it includes the Atacama Desert. At high elevations, most precipitation is observed only during a short period of the year, from December until March. This renders water availability a major concern for policymakers. Accumulated rainfall varies considerably from one year to another, and for this reason, climate projections have a very low degree of confidence in this area. Consequently, in this region, it is more interesting to study the irregularity of precipitation itself than accumulated rainfall values, as they express in a clearer way the behaviour of precipitation. According to daily data from 161 meteorological stations, four irregularity indices of precipitation were calculated: concentration index, entropy, persistence index, and fractal dimension. These indices were measured according to observed values, and their spatial distribution was subsequently determined by interpolating following multivariate regression models that consider different geographical variables such as latitude, distance to the Amazon Basin, elevation, orientation, and curvature. The temporal trends of each index and for each meteorological station were also calculated, displaying different results depending on the latitude and elevation. These changes agree with the observed modifications on the inter-tropical atmospheric circulation and with changes in the precipitation diurnal cycle. These results will help improve climate projections for this region, in the process facilitating the development of more accurate climate models and informing the formulation of water management policies.