Seehaus et al. (2026) Rainfall Pattern and Erosivity: A 90-Year Study in a Cropland Region of Argentina

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-06
• Authors: Mariela Seehaus, Manuel López‐Vicente, Ana Wingeyer, M.C. SASAL, Alejandra Lorena Cuatrin, Emanuel Melgares
• DOI: 10.18172/cig.7019

Research Groups

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but the study utilizes data from the Paraná Agrometeorological Station, suggesting involvement of an institution focused on agrometeorology or climate research in Argentina.

Short Summary

This study quantifies 90-year trends in precipitation metrics and rainfall erosivity in a critical cropland region of Argentina, revealing a significant climatic shift since the 1970s towards higher precipitation and greater erosivity, strongly correlated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

Objective

• To quantify 90-year trends (1934-2023) in key precipitation metrics (total depth, number of rainy days, frequency of heavy rainfall events, and rainfall erosivity) in a critical cropland region of Argentina to address the lack of detailed long-term analysis in agriculturally significant regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: A critical cropland region of Argentina, specifically analyzed using data from the Paraná Agrometeorological Station.
• Temporal Scale: 90 years (1934-2023).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Rainfall erosivity (R-factor) calculation.
• Data sources: Daily precipitation data from the Paraná Agrometeorological Station; Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) for El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) measurement.

Main Results

• Significant breakpoints in precipitation metrics were identified in the 1970s.
• Post-breakpoint increases were observed for:
  • Annual rainfall depth: +16% since 1975.
  • Rainy days: +19% since 1972.
  • Heavy rainfall events (>50 mm): +21% since 1971.
  • Rainfall erosivity (R-factor): +24% since 1977.
• March exhibited the highest monthly erosivity, sustained by intense rainfall events despite a recent decrease in total monthly precipitation.
• The period from May to September was characterized by lower and more stable erosivity values.
• A positive and significant correlation was established between the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and all rainfall variables, with the strongest influence during the spring-summer seasons.
• The frequency of quarters classified as El Niño conditions has increased since the mid-1970s breakpoint.
• The study demonstrates a clear climatic shift towards conditions of higher precipitation and greater erosivity in the region.

Contributions

• Provides a detailed, long-term (90-year) analysis of precipitation trends and rainfall erosivity for an agriculturally significant region in Argentina, addressing a critical data gap.
• Quantifies the magnitude of climatic shifts in key precipitation metrics and their impact on land degradation risk.
• Establishes a significant correlation between ENSO and regional rainfall patterns and erosivity, highlighting a key climatic driver.
• Underscores the urgent need for enhanced soil and water conservation policies in the face of increasing land degradation risk.

Funding

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Seehaus2026Rainfall,
  author = {Seehaus, Mariela and López‐Vicente, Manuel and Wingeyer, Ana and SASAL, M.C. and Cuatrin, Alejandra Lorena and Melgares, Emanuel},
  title = {Rainfall Pattern and Erosivity: A 90-Year Study in a Cropland Region of Argentina},
  journal = {Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.18172/cig.7019},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.18172/cig.7019}
}