Homogenization of Temperature Time Series of Western Greece

Abstract

Time series of climatic data are the basis in research on climate behavior and climate change. Climatic time series have to be as complete as possible and also as homogeneous as possible, in the sense that their variations should reflect changes in climate and not changes due to other reasons. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that affect measurements of climatic parameters which may have as impacts abrupt or smother shifts and trends in the corresponding time series. Several methods have been developed in order to detect and correct these non-homogeneities. In this paper the Multiple Analysis of Series for Homogenization (MASH) method is applied to monthly mean temperature time series from a network of meteorological stations in Western Greece aiming at indentifying probable break-points, outliers and trends, and adjusting them in order to have a quality controlled and homogenized temperature time series for the specific area.