Unveiling the multifractal signatures of rainfall temporal organization: new insights into the complexity assessment of precipitation patterns over northeast Algeria

Taouti, Mohamed Bachir , Chettih, Mohamed

2026-06-11 ACTA GEOPHYSICA 2026   74(卷), 3(期), (null页)

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In recent years, the analysis of rainfall temporal structure becomes a fundamental area of research for hydrologists seeking to understand hydro-climatic variability, particularly in regions affected by climate change. In this context, the present study provides a comprehensive analysis of multifractal properties of temporal fluctuations in daily rainfall series measured in northeast Algeria, using the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) method. The analysis of rainfall time series (1981-2019) across a wide range of time scales from 80 to 800 days shows the presence of a multiple scaling property that characterizes a significant multifractal behavior. The estimation of multifractal parameters leads to an average value of alpha 0 = 0.642 +/- 0.041 for the central H & ouml;lder exponent, showing a persistence process reflecting long-term correlation dynamics. Furthermore, the distribution of multifractal spectrum width (Delta alpha) values over a wide range (0.457 <= Delta alpha <= 1.324) exhibits a significant heterogeneity in the multifractality degree between the studied stations. This research develops a rigorous integrated methodological analysis that explicitly links multifractal signatures to the geo-climatic factors controlling the complexity of precipitation patterns in the northeastern part of Algeria. The correlation analysis between these parameters reveals that sub-humid coastal areas exhibit greater structural complexity in rainfall variability than semiarid inland regions. These relationships suggest a new complexity-based framework as a robust physical approach for precipitation regionalization in Mediterranean environments. The results of this study demonstrate that multifractal analysis provides a solid framework for unveiling the complexity of rainfall dynamics, which provides useful information for better water resource management.