Water balance and Thornthwaite climatic classification of the camobi neighbourhood, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

Abstract

For the human activities development, the detailed knowledge of the climatic conditions is essential. However, in many study fields there is absence of information about it. Purposing to enhance the availability ofinformation on this subject, using precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration potential data, this paper aims to establish the water balance and the Thornthwaite climatic classification of the Camobi neighbourhood in the city of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. The methodology used the water balance equation proposed from Thornthwaite (1948) and enhanced from Thornthwaite and Mather in 1955. It were used data in the period from 2010 and 2017 and, as reference, a soil water availability equal to 100mm. The monthly average air temperature and precipitation were 19,48ºC and 145,99mm, while the annual evapotranspiration was 880,1mm and the hydric excess 835,5mm. The yearly average precipitation was 1.752mm. In the analysed period, there was excess of water in the soil, representing 0,48 times the annual precipitation and the evapotranspiration was concentrated in the summer. It was obtained the climatic equation B3rB’3a’, that is, a humid climate, few or zero water deficiency, mesothermic and thermal efficiency concentrated in summer.