The aim of this paper has been to describe the space and time behavior of the climatic aggressiveness of rainfall in the Abruzzo region by means of the Modified Fournier Index (MFI). A preliminary evaluation of the MFI reliability has been performed by comparing the mean MFI with the corresponding RUSLE rainfall-runoff erosivity factor (R) at 9 stations for which rainfall data at 15-minute time steps are available. Afterwards, the spatial variability of MFI was investigated using an ordinary Kriging. The temporal variability has been studied evaluating the slope and the significance of trends in the MFI time series. Results show that the region of Abruzzo can be subdivided in 3 spatially coherent zones, characterized by different levels of climatic aggressiveness of rainfall: area with low aggressiveness (endo-mountain area ad coastal area with low yearly rainfall) and area with medium aggressiveness (mountain areas with abundant precipitation) which embeds some spots with high aggressiveness. Time behavior shows a decline of the climatic aggressiveness which can be attributed to the new climatic phase that affects the Euro- Mediterranean area from the 90's of the twentieth century.
Analysis of the climatic aggressiveness of rainfall in the Abruzzo region
VERGNI, LORENZO;
2013
Abstract
The aim of this paper has been to describe the space and time behavior of the climatic aggressiveness of rainfall in the Abruzzo region by means of the Modified Fournier Index (MFI). A preliminary evaluation of the MFI reliability has been performed by comparing the mean MFI with the corresponding RUSLE rainfall-runoff erosivity factor (R) at 9 stations for which rainfall data at 15-minute time steps are available. Afterwards, the spatial variability of MFI was investigated using an ordinary Kriging. The temporal variability has been studied evaluating the slope and the significance of trends in the MFI time series. Results show that the region of Abruzzo can be subdivided in 3 spatially coherent zones, characterized by different levels of climatic aggressiveness of rainfall: area with low aggressiveness (endo-mountain area ad coastal area with low yearly rainfall) and area with medium aggressiveness (mountain areas with abundant precipitation) which embeds some spots with high aggressiveness. Time behavior shows a decline of the climatic aggressiveness which can be attributed to the new climatic phase that affects the Euro- Mediterranean area from the 90's of the twentieth century.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
