Climatological analysis of precipitation on Mount Baldo (Italian Alps): 1879 - 2019. Part II: precipitation spatial distribution.
Abstract
The spatial distributions of the mean annual and seasonal rainfall on Mount Baldo massif, an interesting representative mountainous area in the south-eastern part of the Italian Alps, are built. Data used derive from a total of 26 already homogenized long time series related to the period 1879 - 2019. In order to have a homogeneous starting dataset both yearly and for each season, virtual series for lacking stations are reconstructed, to fill the gaps in a specific sub-period individuated as representative for seasonal precipitation. Particular attention is paid to the elevation dependence of precipitation, whose gradient is necessary to extrapolate data at higher altitudes, where no stations are available. Using the KED (Kriging with External Drift) interpolation method, with elevation and geographic coordinates as auxiliary variables, spatial maps of annual and seasonal precipitation are finally built. Maps are commented and compared to other existing work for the Alps. Moreover, a comparison with other available datasets for the area is performed.