Institutional Repository
Technical University of Crete
Technical University of Crete
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| URI: | http://purl.tuc.gr/dl/dias/90D567ED-50FD-4620-AA8E-D7895134096E | ||
| Year | 2015 | ||
| Type of Item | Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication | ||
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| Bibliographic Citation | V. Iordanidou, A.G. Koutroulis and I.K. Tsanis, "Mediterranean cyclone characteristics related to precipitation occurrence in Crete, Greece", Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 1807-1819. doi: 10.5194/nhess-15-1807-2015 https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1807-2015 | ||
| Appears in Collections |
The characteristics of the cyclone tracks thatcaused precipitation events of variable intensity for the period1979–2011 over the island of Crete are presented. Thedata set used for cyclone identification is the 0.5◦ × 0.5◦,30 years European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) ERA-Interim mean sea-level pressure. Cyclonecharacteristics are calculated with the aid of the MelbourneUniversity algorithm (MS scheme). Daily precipitationdata from a dense gauging network over the island ofCrete are also used for the classification of the precipitationevents in terms of rain accumulation (intensity). Daily precipitationis classified in three categories and the associatedcyclones are chosen according to their distance from Creteisland. The seasonal and annual cycle of the physical characteristicsof the cyclone tracks are investigated with respect tothe cyclones’ relative position to the island of Crete. It wasfound that cyclones affecting Crete most frequently approachfrom the western side of the island and the actual cyclonecenters associated with precipitation events are usually locatednorthwest and southeast of the Crete domain. Cycloneinducedrainfall increases in function to cyclones’ depth, radiusand propagation velocity increase as well as cyclones’pressure decrease. Spring cyclones that affect Crete withrainfall present lower pressures and higher cyclone propagationvelocity in contrast to the ones associated with winterand autumn precipitation events. The examination of the relationbetween cyclone characteristics and precipitation occurrenceprovides valuable information related to forecastingpotential and management of the water resources and therainfall extremes.
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