Contemporary Climate Aridization of the Lower Don Basin
https://doi.org/10.7868/S2658697526020073
Abstract
The article provides an assessment of changes in the aridization and continentality of the climate in the Lower Don basin over a period of more than 60 years. Three indices were considered: Ivanov moisture coefficient, the hydrothermal coefficient of G.T. Selyaninov, the index of climate continentality according to S.P. Khromov, the calculation of which was performed for meteorological stations in the region. The trends of annual surface air temperature, relative humidity, evaporation and annual precipitation were obtained for the basic climatic periods of 1961–1990, 1991–2020 and for 1961–2024. A slight decrease in the continentality of the climate in the southeast of the region was revealed. The dynamics of the dry/wet zones area distribution was estimated by the moisture and hydrothermal coefficients for the periods under consideration. Peculiarities in the interannual distribution of such zones were noted. An increase of the dry zones area in the modern period by 6–8% was revealed. An assessment is given for one of the driest years for the period under consideration (2024). Among other driest years, 1962, 2007 and 2020 were highlighted with significant areas of poor moisture zone; and 1998 with a large part of the dry zone according to the hydrothermal coefficient. The wettest years according to both indices were 1977, 1980, 1997. According to the difference integral curves of the moisture and the hydrothermal coefficients, the periods of increasing dryness and wetness in the region was identified. Currently, the Lower Don basin is in a dry period, while there is a decrease in the continentality of the climate, associated with the predominance of warm winters in recent years.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: The study was conducted within the framework of state assignment of SSC RAS, project no. 125011200143-4.
About the Authors
V. V. Kulygin
Federal Research Centre The Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Rostov-on-Don
L. V. Dashkevich
Federal Research Centre The Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Rostov-on-Don
A. V. Parfenova
Federal Research Centre The Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Rostov-on-Don
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For citations:
Kulygin V.V., Dashkevich L.V., Parfenova A.V. Contemporary Climate Aridization of the Lower Don Basin. Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Geograficheskaya. 2026;90(2):366–377. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.7868/S2658697526020073
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