How to cite: L. ZAHARIA, R. PERJU, G. IOANA-TOROIMAC(2018) Effects of climate change on river flow in the Romanian Carpathians.
2018 Air and Water Components of the Environment Conference Proceedings, P. 211-218, DOI: 10.24193/AWC2018_25
CLIMATE CHANGES AND EFFECTS ON RIVER FLOW IN THE ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS
L. ZAHARIA, R. PERJU, G. IOANA-TOROIMAC
ABSTRACT. – Effects of climate change on river flow in the Romanian Carpathians. The paper highlights some relevant changes detected in Romania, namely in the Carpathian area, and related impacts on streamflow. It focuses on Valea Cerbului River catchment, a small mountainous watershed (extended over 26 km2, in the eastern extremity of the Southern Carpathians), where observed and projected changes of the river flow were presented based on frequency and trend analysis of recorded discharges and on hydrological modeling. As observed changes (between 1950-2010), general upward significant trends in the variability of the average discharge were detected, for both annual and monthly discharges (mostly in October, January and July). The projected changes were estimated by the WaSiM-Eth hydrological model for 2035-2065 period, compared to the reference period 1961-1991 (using climatic data on the A1B scenario obtained within the project ENSEMBLE). The results showed the increase of high flows in the cold season (December − April) and a significant decrease in discharges during the warm season (June − November, mainly in August − September).
Keywords: climate change, linear trends, streamflow, WaSiM-ETh model, Carpathian Mountains, Valea Cerbului River.