Abstract
This study examines the variability of precipitation in the south-east of Tunisia through the analysis of data about annual and monthly precipitation at five stations in the Watershed of Gabes, from 1977 to 2015. Standardized precipitation ratio, wavelet and coherence wavelet analyses were applied to examine the temporal variability of monthly and annual precipitation and to determine the effect of climatic fluctuations on rainfall variability. Results of wavelet analysis showed varied energy bands at the studied stations at annual and inter-annual scales. The depicted bands spread according to intervals of 1-, 2- to 4-, 4- to 8- and 8- to 12-year cycles, obviously influenced by regional factors including altitude, proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and global fluctuations. Eventually, an analysis of wavelet coherence showed a strong correlation between precipitation and Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) in Gabes Watershed at different temporal scales. Contribution of the MO ranged between 51% and 93% of fluctuations (8–12 years) in the different examined rainfall stations.
Highlights
In recent decades, climate change has had a considerable impact on natural systems and human life
According to a recent assessment report on climate change [1], precipitation pattern changes and temperature increases have had an impact on the hydrologic system in numerous regions
This paper examines the temporal variability of precipitation in Gabes Basin, which stands as a representative instance of the arid Mediterranean climate
Summary
Climate change has had a considerable impact on natural systems and human life. According to a recent assessment report on climate change [1], precipitation pattern changes and temperature increases have had an impact on the hydrologic system in numerous regions. It resulted in weather condition alterations and climatic extremes. Semi-arid and arid areas of the Mediterranean Basin are among the zones affected by climate change [9] In this context, it is important to identify and characterize the variability of precipitation in space and time in the region and its relationship with climate change. This will be relevant for the interpretation of the corresponding changes in the hydrological cycle
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