SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL HYDRO-CLIMATIC VARIABILITY IN DURANGO, MEXICO

This report presents information on the hydro-climate temporal and spatial variability for the State of Durango, Mexico. Annual rainfall data fitted the Gamma probabilistic density functions. The Gumbel-Fisher-Tipett density function fitted maximum daily precipitation. The log-Pearson Type III density function projected maximum annual discharge and daily maximum peakflows. Evapotranspiration was estimated by the Thornthwaite methodology. More than 80 climatic stations with data lasting longer than 30 years were used to fit probability density parameters. Large-scale synoptic climate events such as the seasonal monsoon, the inter-annual variability, the El Nino Southern and the Pacific Decadal Oscillations appeared to explain temporal oscillations. Spatial variability was observed in hydro-climatic maps constructed using GIS techniques. This spatial and temporal information can be used in the decision making of water management resources at the local and State spatial scales; and in studies of productivity, forest wildfires, and floods of the State of Durango, Mexico.