Spatial-temporal analysis of precipitation characteristics in Artvin, Turkey

The region of Artvin, located in the northeast of Turkey, usually experiences high-intensity precipitation events that occur within a short-time period. Along with other environmental impacts, these events also lead to flash floods in this region. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changing spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation on August 24, 2015 and November 11 to 12, 2015 that triggered flash floods and landslides in Artvin. We apply spatiotemporal (ST) kriging as a tool to investigate these ST patterns. The average hourly precipitation data were used, taking episodes of heavy rainfall into account. Our results show that precipitation reached the highest values of 30-50 mm between 8:00 and 9:00 pm in the Hopa district on August 24, 2015. On November 11, 2015, rainfall values reached >= 15 mm at 4:00 PM in the Borcka district. During both events occurred on November 12, 2015, it rained for 7 h continuously with precipitation values ranging between 5 and 10 mm. The duration of the precipitation lasted for 8 h. In addition, flood events also occurred in the districts of Arhavi and Murgul. This highlights that these districts are vulnerable in the Artvin region and paves the way for decision-makers to implement measures against flash floods in these at-risk districts. In conclusion, the analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics of heavy rainfall events represents an indispensable basis to ensure that necessary precautions regarding flash flood events in the city are taken.