Correlation between precipitation and orography – key element of the Spatial Decision Support System for Prevention and Management of Floods in the Firiza Basin (Northwest Romanian Carpathians)

Abstract: Research on the influence of relief on precipitation has been identified in many studies conducted locally, regionally or globally. However, the research on the area analyzed in the present paper is comparatively lacking. The surrounding mountain area we refer to is represented by the Someș and the Tisa watersheds. The present study focuses on analyzing the influence of the relief, i.e. of the altitude, slope orientation relative to the position of the Sun and the movement of air mass as a factor on precipitation and rainfall gradient. For that, datasets of daily precipitation recorded at 62 rainfall stations were used, as follows: 36 rainfall stations in Maramureş County, 19 rainfall stations in Satu Mare County, and 7 rainfall stations in Bistrița-Năsăud County. Precipitation data from rainfall stations located in the neighborhood of the study area were used in order to determine the influence of relief on frontal precipitation. The second purpose of the research was to determine if there is a correlation between precipitation and altitude. To this end, ArcGIS and Microsoft Office software were used. The results seem to confirm the major influence of the relief over the dynamic convection imposed to the air masses on ascending slopes, various average vertical precipitation gradients and differentiated distribution of rainfall. The present analysis and its results will highly contribute as an input element in a Spatial Decision Support System for Prevention and Management of Floods in Firiza Basin (North-Western Carpathians).