On the Use of Gridded Data Products for Trend Assessment and Aridity Classification in a Mediterranean Context: The Case of the Apulia Region

Abstract

Large-scale gridded climatic data can be useful for the assessment of climate variability and change as a basis for understanding and monitoring natural hazards, as well as for determining appropriate coping strategies. However, an evaluation of the accuracy of these data products against local observational measurements over the different regions of the globe is always required, as these large-scale data may be affected by systematic errors, which can affect the results of downstream applications. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the performances of two long-term gridded datasets in reproducing station-based precipitation and temperature data over the Apulia region (southern Italy) for the period 1956–2019, with a particular focus on the effect of using the different data sources on the results of trend analyses and aridity classification. The results revealed that the considered gridded data products allow only general indications on the spatial and temporal behavior of climatic variables over the Apulia region, especially in regard to precipitation data.