Abstract
The article reports the issues corresponding to the climate variability and possibility of droughts in spatially distinct regions of Paraguay, the Chaco and the Oriental (Paraná Basin). Based on the GMT scripting approach and high-resolution datasets from the TerraClimate and GEBCO, the study examined the extent of the annual climate and environmental variables over Paraguay in 2020: extreme temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, Palmer's Drought Severity Index (PDSI), vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and the topography of the country. The environmental and climate parameters demonstrated spatial variability in the Dry Chaco with notable differences in Gran Chaco and Chaco Boreal, wetlands of Pantanal, and tropical rainforests in east of the Paraguay. Besides climate analysis, technical snippets from the GMT scripts regarding the mapping techniques and data processing were explained and commented. Research results show that actual evapotranspiration reaches maximal values in the Paraná Basin (180 mm/yr), and has peaks along the Pilcomayo river (140-150 mm/yr) which well coincides with the soil moisture; the PDSI values are maximal in Chaco Boreal and Gran Chaco; the temperatures are the highest in the N and NW regions of Paraguay; the highest VPD (over 2.0) corresponds to the Chaco Boreal.
Highlights
This paper is intended to provide a spatial analysis of the distribution of climate variables with regards to the topography of Paraguay
The parameters studied and analysed include temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, soil moisture, actual and potential evapotranspiration, Palmer's drought severity index (PDSI), vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and the topography of the country based on high-resolution data visualized and modelled using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) advanced cartographic toolset
Compared to traditional GIS in general, such as SAGA GIS, ArcGIS and other software used in environmental mapping and land cover and land use analysis (CALDAS et al 2013; DE OLIVEIRA ROQUE et al 2021; SUETOVA et al 2005a; GLATZLE et al 2020; LEMENKOVA, 2011, 2021a), GMT has a more specific characteristics of mapping process based on the console approach
Summary
Compared to traditional GIS in general, such as SAGA GIS, ArcGIS and other software used in environmental mapping and land cover and land use analysis (CALDAS et al 2013; DE OLIVEIRA ROQUE et al 2021; SUETOVA et al 2005a; GLATZLE et al 2020; LEMENKOVA, 2011, 2021a), GMT has a more specific characteristics of mapping process based on the console approach Such techniques remain specific because GMT employs hybrid methods of scripting, which is similar to the programming in its approach (LAIPELT et al 2021; LEMENKOVA, 2019b) with cartographic processing of geospatial data, e.g. cartographic projections and spatial analysis (GAUGER et al 2007; PERES ROCHA et al 2011; LEMENKOVA, 2019a, 2021b). A complementary objective of the presented GMT code snippets is to give a reference point for replicability of the cartographic scripting for further studies of Paraguay, e.g. in the field of geologic, geophysical or environmental mapping
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