-
oa Assessing Climate Aridity Trends in Southern Ukraine During 1991–2020
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 17th International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, Nov 2023, Volume 2023, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Assessment of Climate Aridity Trends in the Southern Region of Ukraine was conducted using data meteostations for the period 1991–2020. The analysis of climate aridization trends over the past 30 years in the study region has revealed a notable intensification of this process, especially in recent years. The hottest summer months occurred in 1992, 1999, 2001–2003, 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2017–2019. These periods were marked by anomaly high temperatures, dry winds, extended non-rainfall periods, and low air humidity, often reaching as low as 30%. Over the past 30 years, from March to October, the Southern Region experienced an average of 203±6 non-rainfall days, with a trend indicating an increase by an average of 0.4±0.1 days per 10 years. Conversely, the number of days with relative humidity up to 30% on the March–October time scale averaged 41±16 days, with a tendency to increase by 1.2±0.7 days per 10 years. The highest occurrence of days with relative humidity up to 30%, on average in the region, is typically observed in July and August (7 and 10 days per month, respectively). To assess climate aridity and calculate drought severity for vegetation were used a satellite-derived Vegetation Health Index (VHI). Drought indices derived from the summed VHI values in August for the years 2007, 2018, and 2020 in the Southern Region of Ukraine are presented.
