Mapping and Analysis of Monthly Average Maximum and Minimum Air Temperature Distribution of Muğla Province in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Environment with IDW Method

Abstract

Muğla province, which is located in Southwest Anatolia and has a surface area of 13,338 km2, generally has a mountainous and rough terrain. In this study, it is aimed to map and analyze the distribution of monthly and annual maximum and minimum average temperature values of Muğla province by using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method. For this purpose, meteorological data of 13 stations of the General Directorate of Meteorology in Muğla and the stations of Gölhisar, Bozdoğan, Kaş, Elmalı, which are close to the borders of the province, were used. The average values of the annual and monthly maximum and minimum temperatures of these stations were transferred to the ArcGIS environment with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their distribution was mapped with the IDW method. According to these maps, the highest average annual temperature in Muğla is in Milas and its surroundings, while the lowest is the provincial borders in the northeast of Muğla center and Seydikemer district. These two places are followed by Datça district, which is located on a long peninsula. The places with the highest annual minimum average temperatures are around Datça and Marmaris districts, while the lowest is the Burdur provincial border in the northeast of Kavaklıdere and Seydikemer. The maximum average temperature in the province is July (between 41.6-41.1°C in Milas and Köyceğiz), and the lowest is January (between 14-17°C in Muğla center and Kavaklıdere). The minimum average temperatures in the province are highest in June (between 37.7-34.6°C in Marmaris), and the lowest in January (between -7.9 and -6.6°C in Kavaklıdere). Elevation conditions, maritime influence and aspect conditions, and the intrusion of thermal pressure areas, especially in summer, have been effective in the distribution of maximum and minimum average temperature values in the province. These values may also vary depending on time during the year