Web Mapping of Extreme Daily Rainfall Data in Central and Northern Argentina

Abstract

This work presents web mapping of extreme daily precipitation values in central and northern Argentina, including values of both annual maximum precipitation (AMP) for different return periods, and probable maximum precipitation (PMP) estimated following a statistical approach proposed in previous work. Historical daily precipitation records of 1,564 stations were used in this work and universal kriging was used for interpolating local estimates in the study area, which includes different topographic and climatic regions (Subandean, Subtropical plains, and the Pampas). The AMP and PMP 5-km grid maps show a clear west-east gradient, although AMP for higher return periods and PMP show more uniform spatial pattern. The kriging variance maps show the highest uncertainties in regions that have no gages at the mainly higher elevations (regions not included in the final version of the maps). The web-mapping application was developed to make the maps available for project designers and risk managers, and represents an important innovation in Argentina.