Variability in temperature, precipitation and river discharge in the Baltic States

• Published in: Boreal environment research Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 150 - 162
• Main Authors: KRIAUCIUNIENE, Jurate, MEILUTYTE-BARAUSKIENE, Diana, REIHAN, Alvina, KOLTSOVA, Tatjana, LIZUMA, Lita, SARAUSKIENE, Diana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Helsinski Finnish Environment Institute 2012; Suomen Ymparistokeskus
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Atmospheric temperature; Biological and medical sciences; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental aspects; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Marine and continental quaternary; Precipitation variability; Rivers; Surficial geology; Synecology; Latvia; Baltic region; Lithuania; Europe; Estonia; rivers; Territory; river discharge; streams; ground water; runoff; climate; variability; Long term; Feeding; precipitation; water resources; aquifers; temperature; climate change
• ISSN: 1239-6095

The climate change impact on water resources is observed in all the Baltic States. These processes became more evident in the last decades. Although the territory of the Baltic States (Lithuania. Latvia, Estonia) is not large (175 000 [km.sup.2]), the climatic differences are quite considerable. We performed a regionalization of the territory of the Baltic States depending on the conditions of river runoff formation which can be defined according to percentages of the river feeding sources (precipitation, snowmelt, groundwater). Long-term series of temperature (40 stations), precipitation (59 stations) and river discharge (77 stations) were used to compose ten regional series. This paper addresses: (1) variability in long-term regional series of temperature, precipitation and river discharge over a long period (1922-2007); (2) changes in regional series, comparing the periods 1991-2007 and 1931-1960 with the reference period (1961-1990), and (3) the impact of temperature and precipitation changes on regional river discharge.