Trends in Temperature and Rainfall Extremes near the Artificial Sobradinho Lake, Brazil

Abstract

Abstract The formation of artificial lake due construction of a hydroelectric plant causes irreversible environmental impacts. Studies associated with these artificial lakes for the Brazilian semiarid region are still insufficient. Thus, the objective of this study is to provide new information on the trends of climatic extremes, dependent on rainfall and air temperature, for the Sobradinho Hydroelectric Power Plant (SHPP) lake region, through the analysis of climate change indices. This study is particularly important for the SHPP region because microclimate changes have significant impacts on the natural, social and economic sectors. For the two analyzed stations (Bebedouro-PE and Mandacaru-BA), it is not possible to affirm that the construction of the SHPP artificial lake altered the local microclimate. Trends of increase in maximum temperature, the number of hot days and diurnal temperature range were noticed. However, the rise of these indices cannot be attributed to the formation of the SHPP lake. The influence of the SST of Tropical Oceans on the temporal behavior of some of the indices used in this study may have contributed to increases in hot days and nights, maximum temperature, diurnal temperature range and consecutive dry days over the region.