Observed Changes in the Precipitation Regime in the Argentinean Patagonia and Their Geographical Implication

PAULA BEATRIZ MARTIN; VICTORIA AGUSTINA ORUEZABAL; MARÍA ELIZABETH CASTAÑEDA

Applied Geomorphology and Contemporary Issues

Springer Cham

Año: 2022; p. 537 - 546

AbstractThe climate of Argentine Patagonia is characterized by extremely dry air, as a result of low rainfalls andhigh evaporation rates related to strong winds. Over the last 25 years the northern Patagonian region hasbeen affected by droughts that have threatened the operation of hydroelectric plants and the supply ofdrinking and irrigation water, especially in the fruit production areas of the region. However, not manyresearch studies on rainfall variations have been carried out over Patagonia, due to the lack of continuousofficial records and the low density of meteorological stations in the region. The aim of this work is tostudy changes in the rainfall regime and existing trends in the Patagonian zone. Monthly rainfall recordsof 23 meteorological stations in the Argentinean Patagonia from Argentina´s national meteorologicalservice and the Sub Secretariat of Water Resource for the period of 1980-2016 . Gamma distribution hasbeen used to fit the observed monthly frequency distributions. Fits were tested by the non-parametricKolmogorov-Smirnov´s test. The shape and scale parameters show a seasonal and geographic variation.At a first result of this study, negative trends are shown in the west and central zone.