Spatial Analysis of High-Resolution Drought Data for Costa Rica 1950-2010

Keywords: drought, precipitation, Costa Rica
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

The overarching purpose of this research is to improve the understanding of spatial and temporal variation in Costa Rican drought and better constrain the climatic drivers of Costa Rican drought. Specifically, this presentation includes the delineation of distinct drought regions in Costa Rica and assessment of their relationship to precipitation. Previous research suggests that different climatic drivers cause variation in Costa Rican drought. In particular, two distinct regions along the Pacific (west) and Caribbean (east) slope of Costa Rica’s central mountain chains exist due to the influence of Pacific versus Caribbean basin climate circulations. However, a mapping analysis of contemporary high-resolution drought data for Costa Rica has yet to be completed. Consequently, we map 4 km gridded precipitation and drought data from Abatzoglou, Dobrowski, Parks, and Hegewisch (2018) and Herrera and Ault (201) to determine spatial variability of the two variables and then complete a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to determine the unique regions of drought in Costa Rica. Preliminary results indicate that the dominant spatial pattern in the drought data are distinct regions along the Pacific (west) and Caribbean (east) slope of Costa Rica’s central mountain chains and a secondary mode of variation between the north and south of the Caribbean slope. Correlation analysis between precipitation and drought data indicates that precipitation is not always the best predictor of drought at higher elevations and in the northeast of Costa Rica due to other thermal or soil facets of drought occurrence.