Trend analysis and detection of precipitation fluctuations in arid and semi-arid regions

Abstract

The most important impacts of climate change relate to temperature and precipitation. Precipitation is particularly important, because changes in precipitation patterns may lead to floods or droughts in different areas. Also, precipitation is a major factor in agriculture and in recent years interest has increased in learning about precipitation variability for periods of months to annual and seasonal trends and change points had been analyzed for 22 rainfall stations in Fars province during 1972 to 2011. Mann-Kendall non-parametric test and Sen's method had been used to determine positive or negative trends; also Pettitt test, Standard normal homogeneity test, Buishand range test, Von Neumann ratio, for detection of change points in the time series had been implemented. The TFPW approach had been used in order to decline the effects of autocorrelation and serial correlation on Mann-Kendall test. The results of Mann-Kendall test and Sen's Method showed decreasing trend for all rainfall stations except for the Monje station. But, no significant trends were observed in all stations. Also, the results indicated that the precipitation has not occurred nonhomogeneity; whereas all test indicated there is no change point on precipitation time series. No change and abrupt shift were visible in the precipitation time series except in winter for Ali Abad Khafr; and Ali Abad Khafr; Tangab and Ramjerd based on pettitt test and Standard normal homogeneity test, respectively.