Variability of droughts in the Czech Republic, 1881-2006
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Theor. Appl. Climatol. |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.springerlink.com/content/71415085373386t7/?p=efe2874ce9c1442798969f8062809dfb&pi=8 |
| Field | Atmosphere sciences, meteorology |
| Keywords | droughts; Palmer drought severity index; Z-index; standardized precipitation index; maximum entropy spectral analysis; synoptic climatology; Czech Republic |
| Description | Droughts in the Czech Republic from 1881-2006 based on the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) and the Z-index were analysed, using averaged national temperature and precipitation series for the calculations. The standardized precipitation index (SPI), PDSI and Z-index series show an increasing tendency towards longer and more intensive dry episodes. The occurrence of extremely dry and severely dry months is associated with a higher frequency of anticyclonic situations according to the classification employed by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Drought episodes have a profound effect on national and regional agricultural production, with yields being consistently lower than in normal years, as is documented through the example of selscted crops. This study clearly confirms the statistically significant tendency to more intensive dry episodes in the region, driven by temperature increase and precipitation decrease, which has already been suggested in other studies. |
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