The Relationship between Precipitation and Topography in Northern Jordan using Principal Component-Based GIS Analysis

The factors that influence precipitation in northern Jordan were extracted from geographic variables using Principal Component-based GIS analysis. The analysis was carried out on a cell basis, where interpolation of the amount of precipitation was performed using a thin spline method and the elevation surface using an Inversed Distance Weighted (IDW) method. The examined variables were elevation above sea level, slope, aspect, and geographical location (east coordinates and north coordinates) all over the study area. The results showed a positive correlation between the amount of precipitation and slope and the amount of precipitation and elevation, while a negative correlation was existed with geographical location. The latter variable seems to have no effect on the amount of precipitation in the region or either its distribution.