Spatial distribution of daily and monthly precipitation in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica

Abstract

The spatial variations of trends of relevant monthly and daily precipitation, as the probability of wet or dry conditions is taken into considerations to see the amount of precipitation per station. The research examined six rainfall stations in the Caribbean range of Costa Rica in a period between 1989 to 2019. The research uses the rain data provided for a National Meteorological Institute (IMN) and the figures were made using ArcGIS this study aims to consider the amount of precipitation, the mean daily and monthly and total rainfall and probability of wetness. It was shown how on the Caribbean side some months have an opposite answer compared to the Pacific side during the La Niña event. For instance, certain months like March, April and October present some dryness. The research reflects that in the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica the warm phase behaves in the opposite way with respect to the warm phase on the Pacific slope. Costa Rica even though is a small country (51.179km²) is far from being uniform, and the results presented in this research reveal differences in the daily and monthly rain even in the Caribbean slope and increasing impact in monthly and daily circulations over the Atlantic through the Jet streams (CLLJ).