Rainfall characteristics and erosion risk in the Brazilian semi-a, d tropical region

Abstract

The annual variability of the rainfall and the erosivity were evaluated for Catolé do Rocha, PB, Brazil. Although the data records correspond to only one location for a relatively short period, the analysis permits the following conclusions: 1. The annual rainfall is highly variable and its distribution is very irregular. 2. The highest daily rainfalls are more frequent in January, March and April. 3. More than 44% for the annual precipitation has Intensity higher than 20 mm/h. 4. The highest rainfall intensities for periods longer than 30 min were higher than in other brazilian tropical regions. 5. The critical period for erosion losses is January-March, because the soil is bare and is being prepared for planting.