Application of different methodologies in the pluviometric behavior of Maceió/AL

Abstract

The precipitation variation clearly reflects the atmospheric dynamics of a determined region. It knowledge allows the aid in the execution of human activities such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, civil defense, among others. The main objective of this study was to verify the climatological elements related to the increase/reduction in pluviometric values for Maceió city during the period from 1961 to 2015. Daily precipitation data series have been provided by two nearby stations, the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) and Utinga Leão plant. The data was analyzed by applying the parametric filter Hodrick-Prescott (HP), to detect trends in the data series, wavelet analysis method to verify the influence of time scales on precipitation. Furthermore, The ENSO Multivariate Index (EMI) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI) were used to verify Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies (SSTA) performance in rainfall variability. From the results, a reduction in precipitation was observed through the trend analysis, mainly in the early 1980s, and more sharply in the late 1990s. Wavelet identified the influence of the seasonal scale of local precipitation and through the association of IPDO and EMI, the number of extreme precipitation events increased when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is in cold phase, on the other hand, relative reduction of the precipitation index were observed when the EMI presents high values. In general, the detailed study of rainfall behavior in Maceió improves the climate understanding in order to mitigate the possible hydrometeorological impacts, which can contribute with the city's urban and environmental planning.