Reconstruction of seasonal and annual rainfall variability in the Iberian peninsula (16th–20th centuries) from documentary data

In this work, a reconstruction of seasonal and annual rainfall characteristics in the Iberian Peninsula from the 16th century to the present is described. This reconstruction is based on the analysis of a wide variety of documentary data. Weather information was taken from original documentary sources in different Spanish localities, representative of the main pluviometric regions in the Iberian Peninsula (western area, Mediterranean coast, northern coast). Documentary data were translated into numerical indices to elaborate time series of rainfall for each season of the year. Two calibration procedures were performed: indexing the instrumental series when an overlapping period was not available, and regression with instrumental data corresponding to an overlapping period in the 19th century. Results of both methods were compared. Preliminary results show time variations in the seasonal and annual rainfall regime as anomalies from the reference period 1961–1990. Results are compared with other analyses reported in the literature. Scientific challenges for future research are outlined.