An Evaluation of the Dynamics of Some Meteorological and Hydrological Processes along the Lower Danube

Alina Beatrice Răileanu, Liliana Rusu and Eugen Rusu ()
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Alina Beatrice Răileanu: Informatics Department, Danubius University of Galati, 3 Galati Street, 800654 Galati, Romania
Liliana Rusu: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
Eugen Rusu: Informatics Department, Danubius University of Galati, 3 Galati Street, 800654 Galati, Romania

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-24

Abstract: The objective of the present work was to perform a 30-year analysis of some significant meteorological and hydrological processes along the Lower Danube. This was motivated by the fact that, due to the effects of climate change, the global configuration of the environmental matrix has suffered visible transformations in many places. Another important factor considered is related to the constant development noticed in the last few decades of European inland navigation, in general, and in the Lower Danube sector, in particular. From this perspective, the processes analysed were the wind speed at a 10 m height, the air temperature at a 2 m height, precipitation, and river discharge. The 30-year period of 1991–2020 was considered for analysis. The ERA5 reanalysis data were processed and analysed in the case of the first three processes, while for the river discharge, the data provided by the European Flood Awareness System were used. The emphasis was placed on the evolution of the extreme values and on the identification of the geographical locations with a higher probability of occurrence. The average values and the seasonal variations of the four processes were also considered. The results indicated that the maximum wind speed and air temperature values along the Lower Danube did not suffer significant changes in the last few decades. However, the values of the minimum air temperatures increased with an average value of about 0.8 °C per decade, and the same tendency was noticed also for the average temperatures. Regarding the precipitation, the trend indicated a tendency to decrease by about 0.5 mm per decade, while for the river discharge, a clear increase of more than 1200 m 3 /s corresponded to each ten-year period. Finally, it can be concluded that the present analysis provided a global and more comprehensive perspective of the recent environmental dynamics along the Lower Danube, delivering useful information for inland navigation, as well as for other human activities.

Keywords: inland navigation; meteorological and hydrological processes; Lower Danube; extreme values; recent dynamics; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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