<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>We analyse water balance, hydrological response, runoff and snow cover characteristics in the Jalovecký Creek catchment (area 22 km<sup>2</sup>, mean elevation 1500 m a.s.l.), Slovakia, in hydrological years 1989–2018 to search for changes in hydrological cycle of a mountain catchment representing hydrology of the highest part of the Western Carpathians. Daily air temperature data from two meteorological stations located in the studied mountain range (the Tatra Mountains) at higher elevations show that the study period is 0.1°C to 2.4°C warmer than the climatic standard period 1951–1980. Precipitation and snow depth data from the same stations do not allow to conclude if the study period is wetter/drier or has a decreasing snow cover. Clear trends or abrupt changes in the analysed multivariate hydrometric data time series are not obvious and the oscillations found in catchment runoff are not coherent to those found in catchment precipitation and air temperature. Several time series (flashiness index, number of flow reversals, annual and seasonal discharge maxima, runoff coefficients) indicate that hydrological cycle is more dynamic in the last years of the study period and more precipitation runs off since 2014. The snow cover characteristics and climatic conditions during the snow accumulation and melting period do not indicate pronounced changes (except the number of days with snowfall at the Kasprowy Wierch station since 2011). However, some data series (e.g. flow characteristics in March and June, annual versus summer runoff coefficients since 2014) suggest the changes in the cold period of the year.</p></abstract>

We analyse water balance, hydrological response, runoff and snow cover characteristics in the Jalovecký Creek catchment (area 22 km2, mean elevation 1500 m a.s.l.), Slovakia, in hydrological years 1989–2018 to search for changes in hydrological cycle of a mountain catchment representing hydrology of the highest part of the Western Carpathians. Daily air temperature data from two meteorological stations located in the studied mountain range (the Tatra Mountains) at higher elevations show that the study period is 0.1°C to 2.4°C warmer than the climatic standard period 1951–1980. Precipitation and snow depth data from the same stations do not allow to conclude if the study period is wetter/drier or has a decreasing snow cover. Clear trends or abrupt changes in the analysed multivariate hydrometric data time series are not obvious and the oscillations found in catchment runoff are not coherent to those found in catchment precipitation and air temperature. Several time series (flashiness index, number of flow reversals, annual and seasonal discharge maxima, runoff coefficients) indicate that hydrological cycle is more dynamic in the last years of the study period and more precipitation runs off since 2014. The snow cover characteristics and climatic conditions during the snow accumulation and melting period do not indicate pronounced changes (except the number of days with snowfall at the Kasprowy Wierch station since 2011). However, some data series (e.g. flow characteristics in March and June, annual versus summer runoff coefficients since 2014) suggest the changes in the cold period of the year.

Analysis of changes in hydrological cycle of a pristine mountain catchment. 1. Water balance components and snow cover

Institute of Hydrology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Institute of Earth Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Institute of Geography and Spatial Management

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

We analyse water balance, hydrological response, runoff and snow cover characteristics in the Jalovecký Creek catchment (area 22 km2, mean elevation 1500 m...

Analysis of changes in hydrological cycle of a pristine mountain catchment. 1. Water balance components and snow cover

Published Online: May 26, 2020

Page range: 180 - 191

Received: Sep 30, 2019

Accepted: Feb 21, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2020-0010

Keywords
Mountain catchment, Hydrological cycle, Time series

© 2020 Ladislav Holko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Analysis of changes in hydrological cycle of a pristine mountain catchment. 1. Water balance components and snow cover

Published Online: May 26, 2020

Page range: 180 - 191

Received: Sep 30, 2019

Accepted: Feb 21, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2020-0010

KeywordsMountain catchment, Hydrological cycle, Time series

© 2020 Ladislav Holko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Mountain catchment, Hydrological cycle, Time series