Data and models for Po river studying

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Two new research papers from ISC Division (RP0185 and RP0186) analyzed trends and dynamics in Po river basin.
More in detail, RP0185 provides a preliminary analysis of discharges, precipitation and temperature data since 1923 for 18 closure sections of Po river and its tributaries.
While temperatures show a clear positive trend, precipitation and, generally discharge series did not show any trend at annual scale. Greater changes have been observed at monthly scale, with discharge increasing in May and October. However, the higher values of interannual variability, compared to these variations, suggest care in interpreting these results.

Climate shows a natural variability that influences the dynamics of river discharges. In particular, intense precipitations would cause floods, while prolonged dry periods are associated to droughts phenomena. In the Mediterranean area, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of these phenomena due to variations in the precipitation partitioning in both space and time.
In RP0186, researchers tried to assess the impacts of these changes on the Po river daily discharges, while developing a modelling chain that includes both climate and hydrological models. The performances of the chain are currently under testing through different simulations over the period 1971-2000. The results of such analysis will be used to qualify the XXI century climate projections and to correctly interpret climate change impacts on hydrological cycle in the future.

Read the intergral version of the CMCC’s research papers:

Marco Turco, Renata Vezzoli, Pierfrancesco Da Ronco, Paola Mercogliano
RP0185 – Variation in discharge, precipitation and temperature in Po river and tributaries basins
Division ISC – Impacts on Soil and Coasts Division
12/2013

Renata Vezzoli, Paola Mercogliano, Silvano Pecora, Myriam Montesarchio, Alessandra Zollo, Mauro Del Longo, Fabrizio Tonelli
RP0186 – Evaluation of climate driven simulations of Po river flow from 1971 to 2000 through flow-duration curve indices: preliminary results
Division ISC – Impacts on Soil and Coasts Division
12/2013

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