Author(s): Ionut Minea; Marina Iosub; Daniel Boicu

Linked Author(s): Minea IONUT, Marina Iosub

Keywords: Drought indices; Multi-scale approach; Correlations; Eastern Romani

Abstract: Drought, with its occurrence and manifestations at all levels of the natural components (atmospheric, hydrological, pedological and hydrogeological), yields both direct and indirect negative effects, on the ecological systems, water resources, social, as well as economic aspects of life. Therefore, any analysis that concerns this phenomenon, must be carried out at a multi-scalar level, addressing all manifestation levels (meteorological, hydrological, and hydrogeological drought). Standardized evaluation indices (for precipitation - SPI, evaporation-, - SPEI, streamflow – SDI and groundwater – SGI) have been used to analyze the evolution of the drought phenomena in Eastern Romania, for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months’ time-scales, applied to seven groundwater bodies, as well as to assess the link between different types of drought. The results of the analysis complement the observations concerning the evolution of meteorological drought (using SPI and SPEI) in the East European region, by highlighting the drought sequences of the last two decades of the last century. Those are accompanied by the meteorological drought sequences which occurred on extensive areas, starting from 2007, until present, with direct effects in river discharge and increases in groundwater level depths. The response of natural systems to the conditions imposed by water deficit is different, however, the evolution of meteorological, hydrological and groundwater drought phenomenon in Eastern Romania, reveal a real connection between them, especially in the last two decades. The Bravais-Pearson correlation coefficient shows a close connection between meteorological and hydrological drought (r~ 0.45 to 0.68) and between hydrological and groundwater drought (r~ 0.42 to 0.74) for wells with piezometric level under 5 meters depth. In the larger context of climate scenarios which envision, regionally speaking, an increase in air temperature, and a decrease in the atmospheric hydrological input, the increase of the drought frequency is obvious, with direct effects on all natural components that are dependent on the hydrological resources (soil moisture, streamflow, groundwater etc.).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC2521711920221187

Year: 2022