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Precipitation trend and concentration in the Sardinia region

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Abstract

The Mediterranean region is an area potentially vulnerable to climatic changes. In fact, it is characterized by a significant precipitation variability resulting from synoptic dynamics of hazardous events moving and evolving along the Mediterranean basin. In this paper, the results of an investigation on rainfall trend in the Sardinia region are presented. The trend analysis has been performed by means of the Mann–Kendall test and of the Theil–Sen estimator applied on annual, seasonal, and monthly scales. To this aim, a monthly database of precipitation registered at 158 rain gauges, with an average observation of 84 years, was used for the analyses. The results mainly evidenced a rainfall amount reduction in the winter months and an increase during the summer months. The monthly rainfall distribution throughout the year was also investigated by means of the precipitation concentration index (PCI). A negative trend emerged and, more specifically, a tendency towards a more uniform rainfall distribution on the Sardinia region throughout the year.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), National Research Council of Italy, Rende, CS, Italy

    T. Caloiero

  2. Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (CNR-IRPI), National Research Council of Italy, Rende, CS, Italy

    R. Coscarelli

  3. Department of Civil Engineering (DINCI), University of Calabria, Rende, CS, Italy

    R. Gaudio & G. P. Leonardo

Authors
  1. T. Caloiero
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  2. R. Coscarelli
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  3. R. Gaudio
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  4. G. P. Leonardo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Caloiero.

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Caloiero, T., Coscarelli, R., Gaudio, R. et al. Precipitation trend and concentration in the Sardinia region. Theor Appl Climatol 137, 297–307 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-018-2595-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-018-2595-1