Spatial and Temporal Variations in Precipitation and Aridity Index Series of Turkey
193
MEDITERRANEAN d SEA
..
Coefficients of variation
for annual precipitation
(%)
",'
' 0
Fig. 7. Geographical distribution of coefficients of variation for annual precipitation totals in Turkey
(re-plotted from Tiirke~, 1999)
the Mediterranean region and almost all over the Continental Mediterranean region.
The CVs of winter precipitation are well above 35 per cent over most of the
Marmara, Mediterranean and Continental Eastern Anatolia regions (Fig. 8a).
Variability of summer rainfall is above 80 per cent over the Mediterranean and
Continental Mediterranean regions, and below 35 per cent on the eastern Black Sea
Coast (Fig. 8c).
4.1.5 Aridity Index
The spatial distribution of the aridity index (Al) is shown in Fig. 9. Areas having
values of 0.65 ,,:Aka. 80 where an annual moisture deficit exists, are shown to be
concentrated in the surroundings of the semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, although
humid lands of Turkey are excluded from the study. Dry sub-humid climatic
conditions extend over most of the Continental Central Anatolia and Continental
Mediterranean regions, some part of the eastern Mediterranean, and the eastern and
western parts of the Continental Eastern Anatolia region. Semi-arid climatic
conditions are dominant only over the Konya Plain of the Central Anatolia and at the
Igdrr district of Eastern Anatolia.