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Changes in precipitation conditions in the western mediterranean over the last century
Author(s) -
Maheras Panagiotis
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0196-1748
DOI - 10.1002/joc.3370080205
Subject(s) - precipitation , mediterranean climate , climatology , principal component analysis , period (music) , zonal and meridional , environmental science , circulation (fluid dynamics) , geography , atmospheric sciences , geology , meteorology , mathematics , archaeology , acoustics , thermodynamics , statistics , physics
A study of precipitation variations over the western Mediterranean is given, for a period of 95 years (1891 to 1985), based on the use of Principal Component Analysis. The curves for the scores are traced and then analyzed for annual as well as seasonal precipitation. Two principal moist periods are found (1901 to 1921 and 1930 to 1941) and two principal dry periods (1922 to 1929 and 1942 to 1954). A comparison of variations in precipitation and zonal indices (ZIa) indicates that with a meridional circulation dominating over the western Mediterranean, we have an increase in precipitation; with a zonal circulation dominating we have a decrease in precipitation.