资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

This article aims to evaluate the spatial distribution of the standard precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized form of the reconnaissance drought index (RDIst) when applied to intense episodes of drought in the state of Rio de Janeiro (SRJ), Brazil. Data of 99 rainfall stations and 17 temperature stations collected during 31 consecutive years (1979-2009) were used to generate both drought indices, in the annual scale. Rainfall data faults were filled with normal climatological rainfall values provided by the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) in the period 1979-1997. The 3B43 product of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Satellite (TRMM) data faults was used to fill up rainfall data faults during the period from 1998 to 2009. As for the temperature data, faults were completed based on the historical (1961-1990) average of the temperatures registered in stations within the same region. For the calculation of SPI and RDIst indices in the annual scale it was used the computational tool Drinc (drought indices calculator). Spatial results were achieved using the spline tension method applied to the five most intense drought events (1984/1985, 1993/1994, 1997/1998, 1999-2000, 2002/2003 and 2007/2008) of the series, according to each index. The spline tension method presents satisfactory spatial consistency in the characterization of drought in SRJ. The results for indices SPI and RDIst presented similarities in terms of spatial variation when applied to the SRJ, as the SPI demonstrated good characterization of drought severity with fewer data requirements.