Balanço hídrico climatológico e classificação climática do estado do Ceará

Abstract

The seasonal variability of rainfall in Ceará highlights the need for strategic management of water availability, as challenging regions like the semi-arid Northeast face difficulties in resource management due to climatic and physiographic characteristics. Thus, the climatological water balance and climatic classification become essential tools for monitoring the soil, defining management strategies, and identifying irrigation deficits and demands. The general objective of this work is to analyze the spatial and numerical variability of the climatological water balance in the state. This study also aimed to: a) determine the historical averages of monthly precipitation, evaporation, and temperature from 1961 to 2020 for meteorological stations located in the state of Ceará; b) calculate the potential evapotranspiration of the stations under analysis using different methods available in the literature; c) analyze the spatial and temporal variability of the climatological water balance in the state of Ceará; d) perform the regional climatic classification of the state. The method was divided into six stages: first, the study area was delimited, then data collection was conducted, followed by the calculation of the historical averages, the calculation of evapotranspiration using the Thornthwaite and Penman-Monteith methods, the calculation of the climatological water balance, and finally, the climatic classification of the state. The study includes 12 INMET meteorological stations located in the state of Ceará. The Köppen climatic classification resulted in most stations being classified as BSh, indicating a hot and dry semi-arid climate. The results for the climatic classification proposed by Thornthwaite and Mather for the state of Ceará were C1/D s2 A’ a’, meaning dry subhumid and semi-arid, with the climatic subtype of great winter deficiency, characterizing it as megathermal a’. Finally, it is expected that the research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the state's climatological variability, providing support for decision-making regarding the multiple uses of water resources.