Transition between the dry and rainy season in Cumbayá (Ecuador): 2014 to 2015 comparison from observations at USFQ’s Atmospheric Measurement Station (EMA)

• Main Authors: María del Carmen Cazorla, Julieta Juncosa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad San Francisco de Quito 2015-12-01
• Series: ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías
• Subjects: Quito; estación seca; estación lluviosa
• Online Access: http://revistas.usfq.edu.ec/index.php/avances/article/view/260

<p>In this work we compare the length of the dry summer season and the transition into the rainy season in Cumbay&aacute; (located in a valley east of Quito, Ecuador) between the years 2014 and 2015. Meteorological observations used for comparison are solar radiation flux density, ambient temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation. Measurements were taken continuously at Universidad San Francisco de Quito&rsquo;s Atmospheric Measurement Station (EMA, Spanish acronym). Data analysis shows that compared to 2014, there was a delay of almost one month for the arrival of the rainy season in 2015. In 2014 the rainy season began on 12 September, while in 2015 the first seasonal rains occurred starting 9 October. September 2015 was an extremely dry month with daytime relative humidity minima as low as 6%. In September 2015, almost 5% of the ambient temperature 10-min data points were above 26&deg; C compared to 0.67% in September 2014. Unseasonable warm and dry conditions augmented the severity of wild fires that developed within the surrounding forests in mid September 2015.</p>