Resumo

PINEDA CONTRERAS, Neida et al. Climatic characterization of Monaicito River's micro-basin, sub-basin of Motatán-Carache River. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.5, pp.765-771. ISSN 2007-0934.

A climatic study of the micro-basin of Monaicito River (11 960 ha), belonging to the sub-basin of Motatán-Carache, Trujillo State, Venezuela was performed; this was made from ten years records (1985-1995) of monthly mean precipitation (six stations) and monthly average temperature (one station of reference). With rainfall information, and using a Kriging interpolator (Surfer 8.0 geo-statistical), a map of annual average isohyets was made. After this, an isopercentage method was used to obtain a 1:25 000 scales, using the Surfer software, maps of monthly isopercentage lines, which were superimposed to obtain the map of monthly average isohyets and monthly average rainfall of 85 referenced points distributed in the microbasin. The monthly average temperature of reference points was estimated using the vertical temperature gradient method, based on data from the Santa Ana station (1985-1995). 85 water balances were developed using the Thornthwaite method, which formed the basis for obtaining maps of annual water rate, moisture rate and annual potential evapotranspiration. Then, by superimposing these maps and the application of the criteria for classification of Thornthwaite method, the climatic regionalization of the micro-basin was performed, determining a predominantly dry sub-humid climate, with slightly or no water excess and four thermal regions: mesothermal warm-cold, mesothermal temperate-warm, mesothermal semi-warm and megathermal or warm.

Palavras-chave : maps; precipitation; temperature; Thornthwaite; water balance.