Abstract

CERANO-PAREDES, Julián et al. Effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation on precipitation in the upper Nazas river watershed. Rev. Chapingo ser. cienc. for. ambient [online]. 2011, vol.17, n.spe, pp.207-215. ISSN 2007-4018.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchscfa.2010.09.076.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the El Niño Southern Oscillation on the upper Nazas River watershed by correlating a reconstructed precipitation series with El Niño region 3.4 indices. For this purpose, annual resolution graphs and wavelet analysis were used. Results show that for the last 100 years El Niño has significantly (P<0.05) influenced precipitation variability, at frequencies of 1 to 14 years for the period 1900 to 1950, 5 to 6 years from 1970 to 1974, and 1 to 2 and 6 to 8 years from 1986 to 2000. The intensity of the dry and wet spells recorded in the upper Nazas River watershed from 1900 to 2000 were influenced by the warm (El Niño) and cold (La Niña) phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation.

Keywords : ENSO; precipitation variability; drought; society; Comarca Lagunera.