Resumen

URENA-MORA, Pablo  y  ALFARO, Eric J.. Comparison of detection methods for the onset and demise of the rainy season based on precipitation data. Tecnología en Marcha [online]. 2022, vol.35, n.4, pp.124-137. ISSN 0379-3982.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18845/tm.v35i4.5778.

Several methodologies have been proposed for the onset and demise dates of the rainy season in the Central American isthmus. Sea surface temperature indices, singular value decomposition, least squares method, precipitation pentads, accumulated precipitation deviation, have been analyzed by other authors. This study compares two methodologies that use only precipitation observations, the first one consists of accumulated daily precipitation analysis and the second computes the accumulated precipitation deviation (APD), both methodologies subject to different detection criteria. Additionally, a modification of the criterion based on the APD is proposed and added to the comparison. A daily set of 101 bimodal annual cycle rain gauge stations in Central America from 1968 to 2012 is used. We found that the APD-based methodology detects false onsets and lengthens the demise of the rainy season. Between the results of the pentad method, the proposed criterion achieves a similar central tendency date of the onset, demise and the duration of the rainy season, in addition it shows less variability than the other two methods.

Palabras clave : Onset and demise of the rainy season; Central America; precipitation; climate variability.

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