Drought Analysis in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin Using the Standardized Precipitation Index

Tommaso Caloiero,Simone Veltri,Francesco Frustaci,Paola Caloiero

doi:10.3390/w10081043

Abstract

In this study, drought events over a large area of the Northern Hemisphere, including continental Europe, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Mediterranean basin, were analyzed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at various times scales (3, 6, 12, and 24 months). To this purpose, the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) Full Data Monthly Product Version 2018 data set, with spatial resolutions of 0.5° longitude/latitude and for the period 1951–2016, has been used. First, the temporal evolution of the percentage of grid points, falling within the severe and extreme drought categories, has been evaluated. Then, a trend analysis has been performed at a seasonal scale, considering the autumn-winter and the spring-summer periods, and at an annual scale. The results of this paper highlight that the Mediterranean basin and North Africa are the most consistently vulnerable areas showing a general reduction in SPI values especially for the long time scale.

Highlights

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental challenges of our times.Since the beginning of the 20th century, the highest concentration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases since the pre-industrial era and an increase in mean global temperatures of about 0.9 ◦ C have been detected [1]
The first and most diffused the twentieth century has been characterized by numerous dry periods
The first and most diffused drought event took place between November 1953 and May 1954 with more than 30% of the grid drought event took place between November 1953 and May 1954 with more than 30% of the grid points showing severe or extreme dry conditions

Summary

Introduction

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental challenges of our times.Since the beginning of the 20th century, the highest concentration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases since the pre-industrial era and an increase in mean global temperatures of about 0.9 ◦ C have been detected [1]. Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental challenges of our times. Anthropic systems and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming more vulnerable to environmental phenomena and an increase in floods, heat waves, forest fires, and droughts can be expected [2,3]. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned about the possible intensification of droughts in this century, especially in some areas such as the Mediterranean basin [1]. Within this context, in recent years and in several areas of the world, drought events have been widely described and analyzed. In Asia, the spatiotemporal drought variability has been studied by Fang et al [4] and by Hua et al [5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion