Spatio‐temporal variability of daily precipitation concentration in Spain based on a high‐resolution gridded data set

• Published in: International journal of climatology Vol. 38; no. S1; pp. e518 - e530
• Main Authors: Serrano‐Notivoli, R., Martín‐Vide, J., Saz, M. A., Longares, L. A., Beguería, S., Sarricolea, P., Meseguer‐Ruiz, O., de Luis, M.
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.04.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Royal Meteorological Society
• Subjects: Annual variations; Barriers; Coefficient of variation; Computation; Concentration index; Daily; Daily precipitation; Data processing; Ecological risk assessment; Energies; Environmental risk; extreme event; Hydrologic data; Islands; Measurement; Mesurament; Precipitacions (Meteorologia); Precipitation; Precipitation (Meteorology); Precipitation data; Previsió del temps; Resolution; Sapin extreme event; Seasonal prediction (Meteorology); Spain; Spatial analysis; Spatial distribution; Temporal variability; Temporal variations; Trends; Variability; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; Canary Islands; Spain
• ISSN: 0899-8418; 1097-0088
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.5387

ABSTRACT An analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of daily precipitation concentration (CI) in Spain was made based on a high‐resolution (5 × 5 km) daily gridded precipitation data set for the 1950–2012 period. For each grid point in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and Balearic and Canary Islands, the average annual CI was computed, as well as its coefficient of variation and the 5th and 95th percentiles. Annual values were also computed, and the time series of the index were used to assess temporal trends over the whole period. The spatial distribution of the CI showed a strong relationship with the orographic barriers near the coastlines. The Canary Islands showed the highest values of CI, along with the eastern Mediterranean facade of the IP. The highest inter‐annual variations of the CI occurred in the southern IP and in the southern Canary Islands. The trends of CI were, overall, positive and significant, which indicates an increase of daily precipitation concentration over the study period and an increasing environmental risks scenario where erosivity, torrentiality, and floods may become more frequent. The concentration of daily precipitation is of key importance for the environmental risks understanding, showing the extreme character of the precipitation distribution along a given time period. Based on a high‐resolution daily gridded precipitation data set, we show that daily precipitation concentration significantly increased in 58.1% of the Spanish territory during the period 1950–2012. Such trends reveal an increasing environmental risks scenario where erosivity, torrentiality, and floods may become more frequent, requiring adapted policies for this new situation.