We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands over the past 50 years.
- Authors
Prăvălie, Remus; Zaharia, Liliana; Bandoc, Georgeta; Petrişor, Alexandru; ionuş, Oana; Mitof, Iulian
- Abstract
The present paper examines hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands, which is one of the country's most heavily affected regions by climate change. The analysis focuses on two of the region's representative catchments (Drincea and Desnatui), covers the past five decades (1961-2009), and is based on climate data (mean monthly and annual climatic water balance values - CWB, expressed in mm) and hydrological data (mean monthly and annual streamflow rate values - SFR, expressed in m/s). The data were provided by five regional weather stations, i.e., by five gauging stations located within the two catchments. The analysis was conducted on three temporal scales (annual, seasonal and monthly), and used statistical methods, such as Mann-Kendall test/Sen's slope method for trend analysis, and Spearman/Student test for the statistical association between climatic and hydrological parameters. The results indicated an overall increase in climatic water deficit, with direct effects on streamflow reduction. Statistically significant trends (climatic water deficit increase and streamflow decrease) were identified especially in spring (with maximum rate values of (−1.66 mm/yr)/(−81.3 mm/49 yrs), for the CWB, and (−0.02 m/s/yr)/(−0.9 m/s/49 yrs), for the SFR). In some cases (mainly in the autumn months) it was found that, while climatic water deficit has decreased, the streamflow rate has increased. Statistical correlations revealed the relationship between the considered hydroclimatic parameters, with a particularly high statistical significance in spring and summer. Weak and inverse correlations between climatic and hydrological parameters can be explained by the role of other factors controlling the streamflow, both natural (soil and lithology) and anthropogenic (wetland drainage, water body conversion, dam and reservoirs building).
- Subjects
ROMANIA; WATER balance (Hydrology); CLIMATOLOGY; ARID regions; STREAM-gauging stations; WATERSHEDS; QUANTITATIVE research
- Publication
Journal of Earth System Science, 2016, Vol 125, Issue 6, p1255
- ISSN
0253-4126
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12040-016-0730-x