Climate Variability and Human Impacts in Central Europe Based on Documentary and Instrumental Data

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Climatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 14462

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Geography, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech RepublicGlobal Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: climate variability and change; historical climatology; hydrometeorological extremes; human impacts

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Guest Editor
Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: bioclimatology; climate change impacts; climate change adaptation; water balance modelling; drought impacts; drought adaptation; drought climatology; agriculture meteorology

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Guest Editor
Department of geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: climate change; climate reconstruction; historical climatology; urban climate

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Guest Editor
Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: spatiotemporal analysis of climatological series; extreme value analysis; validation and correction of climate model outputs; drought monitoring and forecasting

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Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech RepublicGlobal Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: historical climatology; hydrometeorological extremes; documentary evidence; human impacts; climate change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a densely populated and economically productive region of Europe, Central Europe is under the pressure of recent climate change. This is reflected in its changed variability and enhanced human impacts. Because of quite dramatic climate projections, the knowledge of past and recent climate variability and existing human impacts is key for understanding and mitigating future expected changes. The focus of this Special Issue concentrates on characterizing long-term climate variability on the scale of past 500-year climate reconstructions based on documentary data (temperature, precipitation, droughts) as well as on the analysis of recent climate change based on instrumental meteorological observations (temperature, precipitation, snow cover, etc.) with respect to circulation patterns in Central Europe. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of climate anomalies, climate and weather extremes with the most serious impacts on human society. These types of studies focus particularly on the most endangered sectors of human society represented, among others, by loss of human lives and material damage caused by hydrometeorological extremes. The knowledge obtained from proposed studies seems to be crucial for understanding recent and future climate change and for the management of adaptation measures for ensuring future sustainable environmental development in this part of Europe.

Dr. Rudolf Brázdil
Dr. Miroslav Trnka
Dr. Petr Dobrovolný
Dr. Petr Stepanek
Dr. Lukáš Dolák
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate variability
  • climate change
  • climate reconstruction
  • documentary data
  • instrumental data
  • statistical analysis
  • hydrometeorological extremes
  • circulation patterns
  • human impacts
  • Central Europe

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 10567 KiB  
Article
Air Temperature Variability of the Northern Mountains in the Czech Republic
by Lukáš Dolák, Jan Řehoř, Kamil Láska, Petr Štěpánek and Pavel Zahradníček
Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071063 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1381
Abstract
Analysis of a long-term temperature variability of mountains has been neglected for a long time. Here we homogenised and reconstructed four temperature series (1961–2020) of selected mountain stations situated above 1000 m representing the area of northern Moravian mountain ridges (the Czech Republic) [...] Read more.
Analysis of a long-term temperature variability of mountains has been neglected for a long time. Here we homogenised and reconstructed four temperature series (1961–2020) of selected mountain stations situated above 1000 m representing the area of northern Moravian mountain ridges (the Czech Republic) and their spatiotemporal variability was examined. A statistically significant increase of 10-year linear trends of annual (0.26–0.38), summer/winter half-year and seasonal mean temperatures were found at most stations. Summer (JJA) was detected as the season with the highest mean temperature increase between 1961–1990 and 1991–2020 normal periods (1.5 °C). From the spatial point of view, the climate conditions were becoming warmer faster in higher elevations compared to the lower ones. At all stations, a statistically significant decrease in ice and frost days was observed (−9.1–19.9 and −9.5–16.3, respectively). Moreover, it was proved that the temperature series of a newly established Vysoká hole station are representative enough and comparable with measurements of other meteorological stations in the studied region. This research provided valuable insight into the temperature variability of mountain ridges and the results completed our sparse knowledge about temperature changes in the mountain regions in Central Europe. Full article
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20 pages, 4456 KiB  
Article
Changes in Precipitation Conditions in the Warm Half-Year in the Polish–Saxon Border Region in Relation to the Atmospheric Circulation
by Bartłomiej Miszuk
Atmosphere 2022, 13(5), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13050720 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
Precipitations are one of the most important factors affecting water resources in the transboundary Polish–Saxon region. The main goal of the research was to examine the multiannual changes in precipitations in the April–September period in 1971–2018, depending on circulation conditions, based on Ojrzyńska’s [...] Read more.
Precipitations are one of the most important factors affecting water resources in the transboundary Polish–Saxon region. The main goal of the research was to examine the multiannual changes in precipitations in the April–September period in 1971–2018, depending on circulation conditions, based on Ojrzyńska’s classification. The analysis was carried out based on meteorological data from Polish and German meteorological stations. The results showed that most of precipitation totals and intensive precipitations were observed under SW-A and SW-C circulation, whereas the anticyclonic types of NE-A, NW-A and SW-A were mainly responsible for dry days occurrence. In terms of multiannual changes, most of the stations were characterized by insignificant trends for the considered indices. Some positive trends were observed for intensive precipitations in the lower hypsometric zones. In the mountains, a decreasing tendency dominated for both precipitation totals and intensive precipitations, especially for the northern types of circulation. Furthermore, a significant increase was reported throughout the region for most of the indices for the SW-A type, including precipitation totals, strong precipitations and dry days. Considering the observed trends, floods related to heavy rains can intensify in the lowlands, while a potential increase in the anticyclonic circulation can significantly limit water resources in the region. Full article
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19 pages, 6212 KiB  
Article
Identifying Crop and Orchard Growing Stages Using Conventional Temperature and Humidity Reports
by Branislava Lalić, David R. Fitzjarrald, Ana Firanj Sremac, Milena Marčić and Mina Petrić
Atmosphere 2022, 13(5), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13050700 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2039
Abstract
Vegetation is a climate modifier: It is a primary modifier, such as the Amazon rain forest, or secondary modifier, such as the agricultural fields of Pannonian lowlands in Central Europe. At periods of winter crop spring renewal and the start of the orchard [...] Read more.
Vegetation is a climate modifier: It is a primary modifier, such as the Amazon rain forest, or secondary modifier, such as the agricultural fields of Pannonian lowlands in Central Europe. At periods of winter crop spring renewal and the start of the orchard growing season, enhanced evapotranspiration shifts energy balance partitions from sensible toward latent heat flux. This surface flux alteration converges into the boundary layer, and it can be detected in the daily variations of air temperature and humidity as well as daily temperature range records. The time series of micrometeorological measurements and phenological observations in dominant plant canopies conducted by Forecasting and Reporting Service for Plant Protection of the Republic of Serbia (PIS) are explored to select indices that best record the signatures of plant growth stages in temperature and humidity daily variations. From the timing of extreme values and inflection points of relative humidity (R1 and R2) and normalized daily temperature range (DTR/Td), we identified the following stages: (a) start of flowering (orchard)/spring start of the growing season (crop), (b) full bloom (orchard)/development (crop), (c) maximum LAI reached/yield formation (orchard and crop), and (d) start of dormancy (orchard)/leaf drying (crop). The average day of year (DOY) for dominant plants corresponds to the timing obtained from climatological time series recorded on a representative climate station. Full article
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33 pages, 6951 KiB  
Article
Changes in Weather-Related Fatalities in the Czech Republic during the 1961–2020 Period
by Rudolf Brázdil, Kateřina Chromá, Pavel Zahradníček, Petr Dobrovolný, Lukáš Dolák, Jan Řehoř and Ladislava Řezníčková
Atmosphere 2022, 13(5), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13050688 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2382
Abstract
Fatalities associated with severe weather, collected from newspapers and other documentary sources, were used to create a corresponding database for the 1961–2020 period for the Czech Republic. Fatalities attributed to floods, windstorms, convective storms, snow and glaze ice, frost, fog, and other severe [...] Read more.
Fatalities associated with severe weather, collected from newspapers and other documentary sources, were used to create a corresponding database for the 1961–2020 period for the Czech Republic. Fatalities attributed to floods, windstorms, convective storms, snow and glaze ice, frost, fog, and other severe weather, on the one hand, and vehicle accident fatalities connected with rain, snow, glaze ice, fog, and inclement weather, on the other, were analysed separately for two standard periods, 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. The number of weather-related fatalities between these two periods increased in the flood, windstorm, and especially frost categories, and decreased for the convective storm and fog categories. For snow and glaze ice they were the same. Despite significant differences in both 30-year periods, the highest proportions of fatalities corresponded to the winter months, and in individual fatality characteristics to males, adults, direct deaths, deaths by freezing or hypothermia, and to hazardous behaviour. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) Spearman rank correlation between fatalities and climate variables was only found in the 1991–2020 period for snow/glaze ice-related fatalities, with the number of days with snow cover depth and frost-related fatalities having days with daily minimum temperatures below −5 °C or −10 °C. Despite the highest proportions of the rain and wet road categories being in the number of vehicle accident fatalities, a statistically significant correlation was only found for the category of snow-related fatalities in the number of days with snowfall. The results and conclusions of this study have to be evaluated in the broader context of climatological, political, economic, and societal changes within the country, and have the potential to be used in risk management. Full article
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30 pages, 7064 KiB  
Article
Circulation and Climate Variability in the Czech Republic between 1961 and 2020: A Comparison of Changes for Two “Normal” Periods
by Rudolf Brázdil, Pavel Zahradníček, Petr Dobrovolný, Jan Řehoř, Miroslav Trnka, Ondřej Lhotka and Petr Štěpánek
Atmosphere 2022, 13(1), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13010137 - 14 Jan 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3530
Abstract
Thirty-year periods are treated in climatology as spans with relatively representative and stable climatic patterns, which can be used for calculating climate normals. Annual and seasonal series of circulation types were used to compare two 30-year sub-periods, 1961–1990 and 1991–2020, the second one [...] Read more.
Thirty-year periods are treated in climatology as spans with relatively representative and stable climatic patterns, which can be used for calculating climate normals. Annual and seasonal series of circulation types were used to compare two 30-year sub-periods, 1961–1990 and 1991–2020, the second one being strongly influenced by recent global warming. This analysis was conducted according to the objective classification of circulation types and the climatic characteristics of sunshine duration, temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed as calculated for the territory of the Czech Republic during the 1961–2020 period. For both sub-periods, their statistical characteristics were calculated, and the statistical significance of differences between them was evaluated. There was a statistically significant increase in the annual frequencies of anticyclonic circulation types and a significant decrease in cyclonic circulation types during 1991–2020 compared with 1961–1990. Generally, in both 30-year periods, significant differences in means, variability, characteristics of distribution, density functions, and linear trends appear for all climatic variables analysed except precipitation. This indicates that the recent 30-year “normal” period of 1991–2020, known to be influenced more by recent climate change, is by its climatic characteristics unrepresentative of the stable climatic patterns of previous 30-year periods. Full article
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23 pages, 13239 KiB  
Article
Precipitation in the Czech Republic in Light of Subjective and Objective Classifications of Circulation Types
by Jan Řehoř, Rudolf Brázdil, Ondřej Lhotka, Miroslav Trnka, Jan Balek, Petr Štěpánek and Pavel Zahradníček
Atmosphere 2021, 12(11), 1536; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111536 - 21 Nov 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2586
Abstract
Many studies in Europe have investigated the relationship between climatological variables and circulation patterns expressed by various classifications of circulation types. This study provides new insights based on an analysis of precipitation in the western (Bohemia—BOH) and eastern (Moravia and Silesia—M&S) parts of [...] Read more.
Many studies in Europe have investigated the relationship between climatological variables and circulation patterns expressed by various classifications of circulation types. This study provides new insights based on an analysis of precipitation in the western (Bohemia—BOH) and eastern (Moravia and Silesia—M&S) parts of the Czech Republic with respect to the subjective classification of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and objective classification based on the flow strength, flow direction, and vorticity during the 1961–2020 period. Circulation types are investigated in regard to their contributions to the total precipitation, mean daily precipitation totals, and precipitation probability (daily totals ≥ 1.0 mm). Types with a westerly airflow and a trough over Central Europe exhibit the highest proportions in precipitation totals. Types with a cyclone over Central Europe, especially combined with a northwestern (BOH) or northeastern (M&S) airflow, result in the highest daily mean totals and precipitation probability. Types with a southwestern airflow transport more precipitation to BOH, while those with a northeastern airflow transport more precipitation to M&S, with a slight seasonal shift in the gradient axis between winter and summer. Circulation types under both classifications are examined from the perspective of their precipitation representation in BOH and M&S and the differences between these two regions. In addition, the suitability of both classifications for precipitation analysis is investigated. Full article
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