Determinación de zonas isotérmicas y selección de estaciones meteorológicas representativas en Aragón como base para la estimación del impacto del cambio climático sobre la posible relación entre mortalidad y temperatura / Determination of isothermal Areas and selection of representative weather stations in Aragon as a basis for estimating the impact of climate change on the possible relationship between mortality and temperature

Fundamento: En regiones extensas y diversificadas, como Aragón, se cree la necesidad de dividirlas en áreas en función de las variables atmosféricas disponibles, para seleccionar una estación meteorológica representativa. El objeto de este artículo es determinar la existencia de regiones isotérmicas y seleccionar las estaciones representativas con el fin de estudiar la correlación entre variables de temperatura y mortalidad diaria. Métodos: Se seleccionaron datos diarios de temperatura máxima y mínima para el periodo comprendido entre enero de 1987 y diciembre de 2006. Para determinar las zonas isotérmicas se realizó un análisis de conglomerados jerárquicos y un análisis factorial discriminante, así como un tratamiento previo de datos de relleno de lagunas y detección de heterogeneidades en las series climáticas. Se analizaron datos de 93 estaciones (44 en Huesca, 15 en Teruel y 34 en Zaragoza). Resultados: De los resultados del análisis para la regionalización de Aragón extrajimos que un solo factor explica la varianza de cada serie. En temperaturas máximas ese único factor explicó el 93,43% de la varianza y la estación que representó un mayor factor de correlación fue Huesca-Monflorite (correlación=0,984). Para temperaturas mínimas un único factor explicó el 90,88% de la varianza, siendo la estación con mayor factor de correlación Pallaruelo de Monegros (correlación= 0,976). Conclusiones: Se consideró queAragón es una única región isotérmica con una única estación representativa de la variabilidad de las temperaturas, Zaragoza-Aeropuerto, con una correlación en temperaturas máximas de 0,980 y en mínimas de 0,974(AU)

Background: In extensive and diversified regions, such as Aragon, it is believed the need to divide them into areas in terms of the available atmospheric variables with a view to select a representative weather station. The objective of this study was to determine the existence of isothermal regions and select representative stations forAragon in order to carry out further study on the correlation between variables of temperature and daily mortality. Methods: Daily data on maximum and minimum temperature for the period between January 1987 and December 2006 was selected. In order to determine the isothermal areas a cluster analysis and a discriminate factor analysis were carried out along with a data pretreatment of filled gaps and detection of inhomogeneities in the climatic series. We analyzed data from 93 stations (44 in Huesca, 15 in Teruel and 34 in Zaragoza). Results: The results of the analysis for the regionalization ofAragon lead us to conclude that a unique factor explains the variance of each series; at high temperatures one factor explains 93.43% of the variance and the station with the highest correlation factor is Monflorite-Huesca (correlation = 0.984).At lowtemperatures one factor explains 90.88%of the variance, with Monegros-Pallaruelo being the station that presents the greatest correlation factor (correlation = 0.976). Conclusions: It was felt thatAragon was a unique isothermal region with one unique representative station of the temperature variability, Zaragoza-Airport with a correlation of 0.980 in maximum temperatures and 0.974 minimum(AU)

[Determination of isothermal areas and selection of representative weather stations in Aragon as a basis for estimating the impact of climate change on the possible relationship between mortality and temperature]. / Determinación de zonas isotérmicas y selección de estaciones meteorológicas representativas en Aragón como base para la estimación del impacto del cambio climático sobre la posible relación entre mortalidad y temperatura.

BACKGROUND: In extensive and diversified regions, such as Aragon, it is believed the need to divide them into areas in terms of the available atmospheric variables with a view to select a representative weather station. The objective of this study was to determine the existence of isothermal regions and select representative stations for Aragon in order to carry out further study on the correlation between variables of temperature and daily mortality. METHODS: Daily data on maximum and minimum temperature for the period between January 1987 and December 2006 was selected. In order to determine the isothermal areas a cluster analysis and a discriminate factor analysis were carried out along with a data pretreatment of filled gaps and detection of inhomogeneities in the climatic series. We analyzed data from 93 stations (44 in Huesca, 15 in Teruel and 34 in Zaragoza). RESULTS: The results of the analysis for the regionalization of Aragon lead us to conclude that a unique factor explains the variance of each series; at high temperatures one factor explains 93.43% of the variance and the station with the highest correlation factor is Monflorite-Huesca (correlation = 0.984). At low temperatures one factor explains 90.88% of the variance, with Monegros-Pallaruelo being the station that presents the greatest correlation factor (correlation = 0.976). CONCLUSIONS: It was felt that Aragon was a unique isothermal region with one unique representative station of the temperature variability, Zaragoza-Airport with a correlation of 0.980 in maximum temperatures and 0.974 minimum.