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Spatiotemporal analysis of meteorological drought over Kucuk Menderes River Basin in the Aegean Region of Turkey

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Abstract

Meteorological drought is analyzed both in time and space by using drought indices based on site-specific precipitation and temperature data. Departure of precipitation from its normal called in this study as the Dimensionless Precipitation Anomaly Index (DPAI) is used at annual scale, while the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) using precipitation and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) using precipitation and temperature are considered at monthly time scale. Five meteorological stations over Kucuk Menderes River Basin in the western part of Turkey are selected for the case study. Results are presented in the forms of drought index time series, drought risk graphs, and drought severity maps. The prolonged severe historical dry periods of the river basin are correctly identified by the drought indices. It is seen that simple tools such as the drought indices used in this study based on easily available meteorological data could explain temporal variability at a site or spatial variability over a river basin. They are therefore important not only for the scientific community dealing with drought as a research problem but also for decision-makers, stakeholders, and end-users making practice about the drought through water allocation studies and drought management plans.

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Acknowledgments

H. Aksoy thanks the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science for the hospitality and support provided during his stay at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA.

Funding

This study is based on findings of the project Hydrologic risks and water quality change for sustainable water management under the impact of climate change (IKLIM-RISK), Project number: 116Y425, funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). The study was also supported by the Research Fund of Istanbul Technical University (ITU) through the Undergraduate Contributed-Research Program, LÖKAP, Project number: FLO-2019-42174. The final manuscript was written and submitted during the stay of H Aksoy at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA, supported by (1) Fulbright through the Academic Research Scholarship; (2) Istanbul Technical University (ITU) through the International Research and Cooperation Program, UAIP, Project number: MUA-2019-42094; and (3) the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) through the 2219 Post-doctoral Research Program, all greatly appreciated.

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Eris, E., Cavus, Y., Aksoy, H. et al. Spatiotemporal analysis of meteorological drought over Kucuk Menderes River Basin in the Aegean Region of Turkey. Theor Appl Climatol 142, 1515–1530 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03384-0

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