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Late Cenozoic of Península Valdés, Patagonia, Argentina pp 85–104Cite as

The Climate of Península Valdés Within a Regional Frame

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Abstract

Peninsula Valdés shares with the whole of Eastern Patagonia the main features of the regional climate, i.e. scarce rainfall, strong winds and cool-temperate temperatures. Not with standing it has an ill-defined climate because of its geographical location not far from the transitional area, where Pacific and Atlantic air masses merge. Also, because of its latitude (42°–43° S), the southward migration of the subtropical anticyclones is still noticeable over the area in summer. This chapter aims to explain the interplay between large scaled factors as the above-mentioned, and local ones as the almost insularity of the study area. A concise description of the climate is presented through the usual basic elements, temperature, precipitation, and wind. The maritime influence upon these variables is evaluated. It is shown that although mostly commanded by the rain-shadowed westerlies as the entire Patagonia, the climate of Peninsula Valdés has singularities that make it a less arid, more even, and milder climate which presents some Mediterranean features. Historic trends of rainfall and temperature are discussed and appear to be in agreement with global warming projections, according to which future scenarios would be drier and warmer in the Península Valdés region.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ranges of “Mediterraneity” are: MI > 2 Mediterranean climate; 2 > MI > 1.5 sub-Mediterranean; 1.5 > MI > 1 attenuated Mediterranean; MI < 1 non-Mediterranean.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Dr. Federico Robledo (FCEN-UBA) and Dr. Juan Rivera (IANIGLA-CCT Mendoza-CONICET) for the revision of our manuscript and their valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - CCT Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT), Boulevard Almirante Brown 2915, U9120ACD, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Fernando Coronato, Natalia Pessacg & María del Pilar Alvarez

Authors
  1. Fernando Coronato
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  2. Natalia Pessacg
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  3. María del Pilar Alvarez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Coronato .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Pablo Bouza

  2. Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología (CCT CONICET- CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Andrés Bilmes

Glossary

Cryosphere

Are those portions of Earth’s surface, where water is in solid form, i.e. water bodies ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice sheets and frozen ground. It plays a significant role in the global climate

ENSO

(El Niño–Southern Oscillation) Is an irregularly periodical variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting much of the tropics and subtropics

Frontal activity

Sharp discontinuities of temperature, moisture and wind properties caused by the displacement of boundaries between air mass (fronts), set in motion by low pressure cells and often entailing storms and rainfall

PET

(Potential Evapotranspiration) Maximum quantity of water capable of being evaporated in a given climate from a continuous stretch of vegetation covering the whole ground and well supplied with water

Storm Tracks

Relatively narrow zones in oceans where cyclone-generated storms travel driven by the prevailing winds. Cyclones from the circumpolar storm track in the Antarctic Ocean may derive northward and affect Patagonia

Synoptic-scale disturbances

Are those fit in a horizontal length scale of the order of 1000 km or more. This corresponds to a horizontal scale typical of mid-latitude depressions

Westerlies

Prevailing flux from the west in the mid-latitudes emanating from the polarward sides of the subtropical high-pressure cells. Those of the southern hemisphere are stronger and more constant

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Coronato, F., Pessacg, N., Alvarez, M.d.P. (2017). The Climate of Península Valdés Within a Regional Frame. In: Bouza, P., Bilmes, A. (eds) Late Cenozoic of Península Valdés, Patagonia, Argentina. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48508-9_4

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