Natural Hazards and Earth System Science www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net 1561-8633 1684-9981 10 2 2010 10.5194/nhess-10-379-2010 http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/379/2010/ http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/379/2010/nhess-10-379-2010.html http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/379/2010/nhess-10-379-2010.pdf 379 382 2010-02-23 <i>Brief communication</i> "Does climatic change in precipitation drive erosion in Naxos Island, Greece?" P. T. Nastos nastos@geol.uoa.gr N. Evelpidou A. Vassilopoulos Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 157 84 Athens, Greece Department of Geography-Climatology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 157 84 Athens, Greece In this paper we examined whether the recorded precipitation changes cause erosion in Naxos Island, Greece using precipitation indices derived from daily precipitation totals, during the period 1955–2007, in order to develop an erosion risk model. Although the mean annual precipitation appear to be low (~360.0 mm), the erosion processes of the area are very intense, because of the intensive character of precipitation, the high slope relief, the differential lithology and the absence of important land cover The results of the analysis showed that the climatic changes in precipitation and the changes in land cover and land use are the main drivers for the erosion. This is why the 2nd (1971–1985) and 3rd (1986–2007) studied sub-periods may be called of high erosion risk, and especially the second one mainly because of the increased frequency of extreme precipitation events. Alexandersson, H.: A homogeneity test applied to precipitation data, J. Climatol., 6, 661–675, 1986. Bartkowiak, A., Gournelos, T., Vassilopoulos, A., and Evelpidou, N.: Self organizing maps – a helpful tool in clustering areas with similar factors of erosion risk, Proceedings of the 6th Pan-Hellenic geographical congress of the Hellenic Geographical Society, II, 87–94, 2002. Chávez, R.: Modeling Soil Erosion Risk in Los Maribos Volcanic Chain, Nicaragua, Bulletin of the Yale Tropical Resources Institute, 25, 50–57, 2006. Evelpidou, N.: Geomorphological and Environmental study in Naxos Island using remote sensing and GIS technology, Ph.D thesis, University of Athens, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, 226~pp., 2001 (in Greek). Gournelos, T., Evelpidou, N., and Vassilopoulos, A.: Developing an Erosion risk map using soft computing methods (case study at Sifnos Island), Nat. Hazards, 31(1), 39–61, 2004. IPCC: Regional Climate Projections, Chapter~11, in: Fourth IPCC Assessment Report, Contribution of Working Group~1: "The Physical Science Basis", 2007. Jozefaciuk, C. and Jozefaciuk, A.: Gullies net density as a factor of water system deformation in Vistula River basin, in: Runoff and sediment yield modelling, edited by: Banasik, K. and Zbikowski, A., Warsaw Agricultural University Press, Warsaw, 169–74, 1993. Mitchell, J. M., Dzerdzeevskü, B., Flohn, H., Hofmeyr, W. L., Lamb, H. H., Rao, K. N., and Wallén, C. C.: Climatic Change, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Geneva, WMO No 195, Technical Note~79, TP-100, p 79, 1966. Nastos, P. T. and Zerefos, C. S.: Decadal changes in extreme daily precipitation in Greece, Adv. Geosci., 16, 55–62, 2008. Nastos, P. T. and Zerefos, C. S.: Spatial and temporal variability of consecutive dry and wet days in Greece, Atmos. Res., 94, 616–628, 2009. Peterson, T. C.: Climate Change Indices, WMO Bulletin, 54(2), 83–86, 2005. Stocking, M. A. and Elwell, H. A.: Rainfall erosivity over Rhodesia, T. I. Brit. Geogr., New Series 1, 231–45, 1976. Theoharatos, G. A.: The climate of Cyclades, Ph.D thesis, Athens University, 1978 (in Greek).