engleski

Surface water balance components in Croatia

Using the Palmer method on a thirty-year continuous series of meteorological data from 82 stations (temperature, precipitation and relative humidity) and taking the soil data into account, we have determined the monthly mean water balance components in Croatia. Water balance components are: potential evapotranspiration (PET), evapotranspiration (ET), soil water reserve (S), runoff (RO), recharge (R) and soil moisture loss (L). Evapotranspiration is the process that consists of evaporation from the soil (evaporation) and from animals and plants (transpiration). Water balance components, although largely dependent on climatic elements, also depend on geographical position and geological substrate. If there was enough precipitation, the maximum of evapotranspiration could be in the mid-Adriatic area, but the lack of precipitation makes that evapotranspitation not different from the values in other parts of Croatia. Runoff is greatest in areas with high precipitation and that is in the mountain Croatia. Analysed meteorological data from the period 1981–2010 indicate higher air temperature and lesser precipitation than from the standard climate period 1961–1990, which adversely affects the evapotranspiration in areas with insufficient precipitation in the Adriatic coast and islands, and eastern parts of Croatia. For Osijek, Zagreb, Crikvenica, Gospic and Hvar, which have 109-year data, secular trend of water balance components have been tested by Mann-Kendall rank test. Mean annual results show a significant increase in temperature and potential evapotranspiration and decrease in precipitation, relative humidity, runoff and soil water reserve at all stations.

evapotranspiration ; linear trend ; Palmer method

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