Análisis regional de zonas homogéneas de precipitación en Carabobo, Venezuela.

Introduction: The primary utility of climate data for planning sustainable development in agricultural areas and addressing all the consequences of climate change has already been firmly established in different programs and policies worldwide. Objective: Analyze the temporal space variability of precipitation and identify homogeneous areas based on monthly and annual data from weather stations in Carabobo, Venezuela, during the period 1969-1999. Materials and methods: To define subgroups of rainfall stations that characterize homogeneous zones, multivariate techniques (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) were applied based on the similarity of the behavior of the data series of precipitated annual rainfall. Finally, the spatial distribution map of the precipitation was prepared by means of kriging interpolation. Results: It was possible to identify four groups of stations with similar behavior in terms of rainfall processes. This investigation allowed to know the spatial and temporal behavior of precipitation, characterized by the marked seasonality resulting from the direct influence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The trend showed a pattern of spatial distribution with a gradation that goes from minor to major in the northeast to southeast direction. Conclusion: In addition, this study allowed estimating the spatial regularity of rainfall behavior and the degree of heterogeneity of this climatic element year after year, which in turn represents the beginning of strategic planning at the regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]