engleski

Analyses of Climate Variations at Four Meteorological Stations on Remote Islands in the Croatian Part of the Adriatic Sea

The Mediterranean region is one of the regions in the world that are most vulnerable to the impacts of imminent climate changes. Understanding and predicting the climate changes are crucial for the preservation of the fresh water resources that sustain the rich and diverse ecosystems and socioeconomic systems in this region. The most endangered groundwater resources are along the coasts and on islands since they are relatively small and intensively exploited. Time series of air temperatures and precipitation measured at four meteorological stations (Komiža, Palagruža, Lastovo, and Biševo) located on small islands in the Adriatic Sea were analysed in this study. The results showed increasing trends in the minimum, mean, and maximum annual air temperatures. However, statistically significant increasing trends of air temperatures occur only from April to August. Annual and monthly precipitation time series don’t show statistically significant trends. Although the climate variability is moderate, the increase of air temperatures during warm periods could result in higher evapotranspiration that could decrease the recharge of the aquifers. These processes together with the intensive exploitation for tourism purposes during summer, when the amount of groundwater is lower, could deplete and severely endanger the coastal groundwater resources.

air temperature ; precipitation ; global warming ; Mediterranean ; Adriatic Sea

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