Climatic feedbacks and desertification: The Mediterranean Model

Mesometeorological data obtained through several research projects in Southern Europe have been used to analyze perceived changes in the western Mediterranean summer storm regime. The results, based on the analysis of processes, indicate that the precipitation regime in the western Mediterranean area is very sensitive to variations in surface airmass temperature and moisture. Land-use perturbations accumulated over the past time have lead to a loss of storms over the coastal mountains in summer and additional heating of the sea surface, which favours cyclogenesis and torrential rains in autumn and winter. Land-use policies should be undertaken to mitigate the impact of these climate changes.