Analysis of drought and desertification by means of aridity indices and the estimation of water gap in Baja California Sur, Northwest Mexico

Abstract

In Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico, dry-semi warm and warm climates prevail associated to an extreme trend of diurnal temperatures and the environmental dryness. In this State, the maximum summer t exceeds 40° C and the minimum varies from 5 to 12° C, with a minimal for the State of 2° C in winter, at the top of the Sierra de La Laguna; only Los Cabos region has a warm humid climate. Because precipitation in the state is low, oscillating from 310 mm in the southern area of the state to 120 mm per year in the northern portion, predictions and scenarios under climate conditions point to an intensification of droughts. The aim of this work was to carry out a comparative analysis of trends of temperature, precipitation and hydro-environmental aridity among contrasting localities of BCS, by means of the application of Aridity Indexes and the determination of the Standardized Water Gap (BHE), through a numerical scale modification of the De Martonne Index. With the values of temperature and precipitation for the different climate change scenarios for four weather stations, the indicators Hydro Environmental Availability Index (IDHA) and Hydro Environmental Drought Index (ISHA) were calculated to determine their trend and the consequent BHE, an innovative quantification of wáter deficit, which is proposed in this paper. The máximum value of BHE (10 units), indicating prevalence of drought, is observed from February to June in almost the entire state.

Keywords

• Balance hídrico
• sequía, aridez
• índice de aridez
• noroeste de México