Spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall and temperature in Macedonia, Greece, over a thirty year period, using GIS

Η αυξημένη ζήτηση και χρήση των υδάτινων πόρων οδήγησε την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση στην καθιέρωση της Ευρωπαϊκής κοινοτικής Οδηγίας Πλαίσιο 2000/60 ΕΚ για τα ύδατα, η οποία έχει στόχο την καλύτερη πολιτική διαχείριση των υδάτων από τα κράτη μέλη. Προκειμένου να επιτευχθεί καλύτερη προστασία αλλά και διαχειρισή των υδάτινων πόρων, τα κράτη μέλη πρέπει να εντοπίσουνε και να αναλύσουνε τα ευρωπαϊκά ύδατα σε επίπεδο λεκάνης απορροής. Ο υετός και η θερμοκρασία του αέρα συνδέονται άμεσα και αλληλεπιδρούν με τον υδρολογικό κύκλο και με τους υδάτινους πόρους. Ο στόχος αυτής της μελέτης είναι να παρουσιάσει την χωρική και χρονική κατανομή του υετού και της θερμοκρασίας του αέρα στη Μακεδονία, με τη χρήση λογισμικού Γ.Σ.Π. (ArcMap 9,3). Τα δεδομένα που χρησιμοποιούνται είναι οι ημερήσιες, μηνιαίες και ετήσιες τιμές των παραπάνω παραμέτρων, οι οποίες ανακτήθηκαν από 82 διαφορετικούς μετεωρολογικούς σταθμούς που ανήκουν στο Υπουργείο Αγροτικής Ανάπτυξης και Τροφίμων, και αντιστοιχούν στο χρονικό διάστημα τριάντα χρόνων (1974-2004). Συγκεκριμένα 82 σταθμοί παρείχαν συνεχή δεδομένα ημερήσιου υετού ενώ 43 από τους σταθμούς παρείχαν συνεχή δεδομένα της ημερήσιας θερμοκρασίας του αέρα. Το Ετήσιο Θερμοκρασιακό Εύρος, η θερμική Ηπειρωτικότητα, η μέση ετήσια θερμοκρασία και το μέσο ετήσιο ύψος υετού υπολογίστηκαν, σε κάθε σταθμό, για τα τριάντα χρόνια της εξεταζόμενης περιόδου. Χρησιμοποιήθηκε το λογισμικό GIS   (ArcMap 9.3) για την εφαρμογή μεθόδων χωρικής παρεμβολής, προκειμένου να προσδιοριστούν οι τιμές των παραπάνω παραμέτρων στη Μακεδονία. Ακολούθησε έλεγχος αξιοπιστίας των μεθόδων και η πιο αξιόπιστη μεθοδος χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την δημιουργία χαρτών με τις προαναφερόμενες παραμέτρους. Έπειτα έγινε υπολογισμός της εξατμισοδιαπνοής για όλους τους μετεωρολογικούς σταθμούς με τρεις μεθόδους Thornthwaite, Turc   και   Coutange.Due to increased demand and use of water resources, the European Union has established the (WFD) Water Framework Directive 2000/60 for Community action in the field of water policy. In order to achieve better water protection and management, Member States must identify and analyse European waters, on the basis of individual river basin and district. Precipitation and air temperature are directly related and at the same way interacted to the hydrological cycle and therefore with water resources. The objective on this study is to present the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation and air temperature in Macedonia, by using GIS software (ArcMap 9.3).  The data used were retrieved from 82 different meteorological stations, which belong to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and correspond to the thirty year period (1974-2004); all stations provided continuous daily data of precipitation while 43 of them provided also daily data of temperature. The annual temperature range and the annual total precipitation amount were calculated, at each individual station, for the thirty years of the examined period. By using GIS software and triangular interpolation scheme, the thematic maps of Macedonia for the aforementioned parameters and thermal continentality K were created. Furthermore, possible mean annual evapotranspiration for each meteorological station was estimated by Turc, Coutagne and Thornthwaite algorithms

Synoptic and dynamic characteristics of selected deep depressions over Cyprus

International audienceIn this study, the spatial and temporal distributions of dynamic and synoptic characteristics of a selection of 32 deep baroclinic depressions have been investigated. The study covers the cold period months of November till March, in the period from 1 November 1986 to 31 March 2003. For the needs of the study, several synoptic characteristics of these depressions have been extracted. Also, several dynamic characteristics during the evolution of the depressions were studied: relative vorticity, divergence, vertical motion and a static stability parameter. The results are presented in the form of isobaric distributions over, three tropospheric isobaric levels, namely the lower 850 hPa, the middle 500 hPa and the upper 300 hPa

Parry-Romberg Syndrome Associated with Localized Scleroderma

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare neurocutaneous disorder of unknown origin. It is characterized by progressive facial hemiatrophy and frequently overlaps with a condition known as linear scleroderma ‘en coup de sabre’. Neurological involvement is frequently described in these patients, including migraine, facial pain and epilepsy, which represent the commonest neurological conditions, sometimes associated with brain abnormalities ipsilaterally to the skin lesions. We present a case of Parry-Romberg syndrome with neurological involvement in a patient with diagnosed localized scleroderma (morphea)

Programme Handicaps et sciences sociales – PHS

Christian Cuxac, professeur à l’Université Paris-VIIIAlexis Karacostas, psychiatre, président de l’association GESTES Surdité et langue des signes : analyseurs politiques et sociolinguistiques. 1. La question de l’implant cochléaire Reprenant la question posée par Bernard Mottez « Les Sourds existent-ils ? », ce séminaire s’est proposé d’être un lieu interdisciplinaire de réflexion et de discussion. Il s’agissait d’interroger les savoirs, les pratiques et les valeurs construits dans le champ ..

Kinematic characteristics of hailstorms in Northern Greece

International audienceThe purpose of this study is the analysis of radar data, digitally recorded, during an operational hail suppression program in the region of Central Macedonia, Greece, for the warm period of the years 1997?2001. Kinematic characteristics, such as lifetime and distance traveled by hailstorms, as well as direction of motion and speed, have been related to type of storms and season. It has been found that singlecells are short-lived and travel short distances, while multicells are long-lived and travel long distances. On the contrary, their corresponding speed distributions are similar. The deviation of the direction of motion from mean wind is smaller for singlecells than for multicells. September and July exhibit the maximum and minimum average storm speeds as a direct implication of synoptic disturbances passage and convection, prevailing respectively. Finally, storms overcoming orographic barriers decelerate in general on the windward side and accelerate on the lee side of mountains

MODELING THE TRANS-ATLANTIC TRANSPORTATION OF SAHARAN DUST

In the present study we are simulating the trans-Atlantic transport of dust from Sahara to the South-Central America, using the regional climate model RegCM4 and its online dust scheme, for the year 2007. The simulated horizontal and vertical distributions of the mineral dust optical properties were evaluated against the LIVAS CALIPSO satellite dust product. The Trans-Atlantic dust transport is simulated adequately with RegCM4, but there are some spatial discrepancies. Dust optical thickness is overestimated in the eastern Sahara throughout the year by 0.1-0.2, while near the gulf of Guinea is underestimated during winter and spring. Although RegCM4 dust plume is located southern on winter and spring, it doesn't spatially match the dust optical thickness of LIVAS. In summer and autumn the vertical distribution of dust between 3-4km during the Trans-Atlantic transport is simulated by the model adequately up to 30ºW 40ºW longitude. However, during winter-spring RegCM4 misplaces dust loading into higher altitude. Finally, we discuss some possible reasons and mechanisms that might be responsible for the differences between the model and the observations

Regional climate hindcast simulations within EURO-CORDEX: evaluation of a WRF multi-physics ensemble

In the current work we present six hindcast WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model) simulations for the EURO-CORDEX (European Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment) domain with different configurations in microphysics, convection and radiation for the time period 1990?2008. All regional model simulations are forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis and have the same spatial resolution (0.44°). These simulations are evaluated for surface temperature, precipitation, short- and longwave downward radiation at the surface and total cloud cover. The analysis of the WRF ensemble indicates systematic temperature and precipitation biases, which are linked to different physical mechanisms in the summer and winter seasons. Overestimation of total cloud cover and underestimation of downward shortwave radiation at the surface, mostly linked to the Grell?Devenyi convection and CAM (Community Atmosphere Model) radiation schemes, intensifies the negative bias in summer temperatures over northern Europe (max ?2.5 °C). Conversely, a strong positive bias in downward shortwave radiation in summer over central (40?60%) and southern Europe mitigates the systematic cold bias over these regions, signifying a typical case of error compensation. Maximum winter cold biases are over northeastern Europe (?2.8 °C); this location suggests that land?atmosphere rather than cloud?radiation interactions are to blame. Precipitation is overestimated in summer by all model configurations, especially the higher quantiles which are associated with summertime deep cumulus convection. The largest precipitation biases are produced by the Kain?Fritsch convection scheme over the Mediterranean. Precipitation biases in winter are lower than those for summer in all model configurations (15?30%). The results of this study indicate the importance of evaluating not only the basic climatic parameters of interest for climate change applications (temperature and precipitation), but also other components of the energy and water cycle, in order to identify the sources of systematic biases, possible compensatory or masking mechanisms and suggest pathways for model improvement.The contribution from Universidad de Cantabria was funded by the Spanish R&D programme through projects CORWES (CGL2010-22158-C02-01) and WRF4G (CGL2011-28864), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. M. García-Díez acknowledges financial support from the EXTREMBLES (CGL2010-21869) project