Heavy Rainfall Mapping for Tocantins State, Brazil

Abstract This study aimed to map heavy rainfall with durations of 10, 30, 720 and 1440 minutes, associated with return times of 10, 50 and 100 years for the Tocantins State. Historical series of 95 pluviometric stations located in the Tocantins State and nearby were applied, with standard period from 1983 to 2013. A geostatistical study was conducted, evaluating the spherical, exponential and gaussian semivariogram models, adjusted by the weighted least squares method. From this study, the model that presented the smallest average error based on cross-validation was applied to the mapping process by ordinary kriging. There was good performance of the geostatistical techniques, being possible to highlight the spherical model for the mapping of the annual maximum daily precipitation and the Gaussian model for the rains calculated by the methodology of disaggregation. It was also verified that the areas of intense rainfall of greater severity in the state are in the Bico do Papagaio (north), Bananal Island (southwest) and northwest of the state.