Several quite severe droughts occurred in Europe in the 21st century; three of them (2003, 2012 and 2015) hit also Slovakia. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) were used for assessment of meteorological drought occurrence. The research was established on discharge time series representing twelve river basins in Slovakia within the period 1981–2015. Sequent Peak Algorithm method based on fixed threshold, three parametric Weibull and generalized extreme values distribution GEV, factor and multiple regression analyses were employed to evaluate occurrence and parameters of hydrological drought in 2003, 2011–2012 and 2015, and the relationship among the water balance components. Results showed that drought parameters in evaluated river basins of Slovakia differed in respective years, most of the basins suffered more by 2003 and 2012 drought than by the 2015 one. Water balance components analysis for the entire period 1931–2016 showed that because of contin
The impoundment located near the village of Poša in eastern Slovakia is a significant source of arsenic. Waters penetrating the impoundment become enriched in As and other potentially toxic elements. As a consequence, the Kyjov brook and the Ondava River have been extensively polluted by arsenic. Although, zinc is of minor environmental significance regarding pollution in the area, it was also monitored to compare its behaviour with that of arsenic. The mobility and solid-state distribution of As and Zn in the impoundment materials and stream sediments have been investigated using a five-step sequential extraction procedure. Moreover, to investigate the bioavailability of As and Zn, two native plant species (Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis) growing at the site were collected and analyzed. The As concentrations in representative sediment and water samples ranged from 36.28 to 3208.35 mg kg-1 and from 4.05 to 612.8 μg l-1, respectively, both being many times above the background levels. The Zn concentrations of environmental importance were found to be high only in the impoundment materials (up to 3390 mg kg-1). Although a part of As was present in a readily soluble form (6.62%), the majority of As was mainly associated with Fe/Mn oxides (37.30%) and residual phases (51%). Similarly, the most dominant fractions for zinc distribution were Fe/Mn oxides (38.5%), residual (34%) and exchangeable (18%). Combined results of the sequential extraction tests as well as chemical and mineralogical analysis indicated that As mobilisation potential from the sediments is likely controlled by Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide mineral phases. Plants growing in the impoundment had As concentrations 10 to 100 times higher than the same plants growing in a relatively nonpolluted area, indicating an enhanced bioavailability of arsenic in the area with high total As contents in the impoundment materials. and Odkalisko, ktoré sa nachádza pri obci Poša (východné Slovensko), je významným zdrojom arzénu. Vody presakujúce cez materiál uložený v odkalisku sa tak obohacujú o As a ďalšie potenciálne toxické prvky. Dôsledkom je výrazné znečistenie toku Kyjov a rieky Ondava arzénom. Aj keď v tejto oblasti zinok nepredstavuje až tak veľký environmentálny problém, je zahrnutý v tejto štúdii s cieľom porovnať správanie sa týchto dvoch potenciálne toxických prvkov. Na štúdium pohyblivosti a distribúcie As a Zn v materiáloch odkaliska a v riečnych sedimentoch sa použila päťkroková sekvenčná extrakcia. Okrem toho sme skúmali bioprístupnosť As a Zn v dvoch typoch rastlín (Typha latifolia a Phragmites australis), ktoré prednostne rastú na odkalisku. Koncentrácie As v odobratých vzorkách sedimentov boli v intervale od 36,28 do 3208,35 mg kg-1 a v povrchových vodách od 4,05 do 612,8 μg l-1. Tieto koncentrácie sú oveľa vyššie ako pozaďové hodnoty pre danú oblasť. Bolo zistené, že koncentrácie Zn významné z hľadiska znečistenia sú vysoké len v odkaliskových materiáloch (až 3390 mg kg-1). Aj keď určitý podiel As v sedimentoch bol prítomný v ľahko rozpustnej forme (6,62 %), väčšina As bola viazaná na oxidy Fe a Mn (37,30 %) a reziduálne fázy (51 %). Podobné to bolo pri Zn, pričom najdôležitejšie pre jeho distribúciu boli oxidy Fe a Mn (38,5 %), reziduálne fázy (34 %) a vymeniteľné pozície (18 %). Kombinované výsledky sekvenčných extrakcií ako aj chemickej a mineralogickej analýzy ukázali, že mobilizácia As zo sedimentov úzko súvisí s prítomnými minerálmi zo skupiny oxyhydroxidov Fe a Mn. Rastliny vyskytujúce sa na odkalisku obsahovali 10- až 100-násobne vyššie koncentrácie As ako tie isté rastliny odobraté z relatívne neznečistenej oblasti. Táto skutočnosť poukazuje na zvýšenú bioprístupnosť arzénu na skúmanom odkalisku, ktoré je typické vysokými obsahmi celkového As v uložených materiáloch.
Changes in runoff parameters are very important for Slovakia, where stream-flow discharges, being supplied by precipitation and groundwater runoff, are preferentially influenced by climatic conditions. Therefore, teleconnections between runoff parameters, climate parameters and global atmospheric drivers such as North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Pacific Oscillation, Quasi-biennial oscillation and solar activity were studied in the Nitra River Basin, Slovakia. Research was mostly based on records of 80 years (1931-2010) for discharges and baseflow, and 34 years for groundwater heads. Methods of autocorrelation, spectral analysis, cross-correlation and coherence function were used. Results of auto-correllograms for discharges, groundwater heads and base flow values showed a very distinct 11-year and 21-year periodicity. Spectrogram analysis documented the 11-year, 7.8-year, 3.6-year and 2.4-year periods in the discharge, precipitation and air temperature time series. The same cycles except of 11-years were also identified in the long-term series of the North Atlantic Oscillation and Southern Pacific Oscillation indices. The cycle from approximately 2.3 to 2.4-years is most likely connected with Quasi-biennial oscillation. The close negative correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation winter index and the hydrological surface and groundwater parameters can be used for their prediction within the same year and also for one year in advance.
Regional frequency analysis of heavy precipitation amounts based on the estimation of the parameters of a regional distribution function using L-moments is adopted for the specific geographical-climatological settings of Slovakia. The paper focuses on the first step of the regional L-moment algorithm (Hosking, Wallis, 1997), which is the delineation of homogeneous regions. Objective and process-based logical pooling techniques are used to form homogeneous pooling groups of rainfall gauging stations for regional frequency analysis of k-day precipitation amounts (k = 1 to 5 days). Even though the delineation of homogeneous regions by means of objective methods is generally accepted and recommended in the literature, it is concluded here that such a pooling of similar sites should not be carried out automatically in precipitation analysis. Instead, a combination of physical/geomorphological considerations and objective methods should be preferred. and Článok sa zaoberá regionálnou frekvenčnou analýzou mimoriadnych úhrnov zrážok, ktorá je založená na odhade parametrov regionálneho rozdelenia pravdepodobnosti pomocou L-momentov a ktorá sa aplikuje v špecifických geograficko-klimatických podmienkach Slovenska. Článok je užšie zameraný na prvý krok tzv. regionálneho L-momentového algoritmu (Hosking, Wallis, 1997), ktorým je vyčlenenie homogénnych regiónov pre k-denné úhrny zrážok (k = 1 až 5). Na formovanie homogénnych zoskupení klimatologických a zrážkomerných staníc sa použila objektívna aj subjektívna (logická) metodika. Napriek tomu, že odborná literatúra všeobecne uznáva a odporúča použiť objektívne postupy na vyčlenenie homogénnych regiónov, v štúdii sme usúdili, že by sa vo frekvenčnej analýze úhrnov zrážok navzájom podobné stanice nemali vyčleňovať automaticky. Namiesto toho odporúčame, aby sa k tomuto účelu použila kombinácia objektívnych postupov, resp. úvah založených na fyzicko-geografických charakteristikách krajiny
This work examines the main features of the flash flood regime in Central Europe as revealed by an analysis of flash floods that have occurred in Slovakia. The work is organized into the following two parts: The first part focuses on estimating the rainfall-runoff relationships for 3 major flash flood events, which were among the most severe events since 1998 and caused a loss of lives and a large amount of damage. The selected flash floods occurred on the 20th of July, 1998, in the Malá Svinka and Dubovický Creek basins; the 24th of July, 2001, at Štrbský Creek; and the 19th of June, 2004, at Turniansky Creek. The analysis aims to assess the flash flood peaks and rainfall-runoff properties by combining post-flood surveys and the application of hydrological and hydraulic post-event analyses. Next, a spatially-distributed hydrological model based on the availability of the raster information of the landscape’s topography, soil and vegetation properties, and rainfall data was used to simulate the runoff. The results from the application of the distributed hydrological model were used to analyse the consistency of the surveyed peak discharges with respect to the estimated rainfall properties and drainage basins. In the second part these data were combined with observations from flash flood events which were observed during the last 100 years and are focused on an analysis of the relationship between the flood peaks and the catchment area. The envelope curve was shown to exhibit a more pronounced decrease with the catchment size with respect to other flash flood relationships found in the Mediterranean region. The differences between the two relationships mainly reflect changes in the coverage of the storm sizes and hydrological characteristics between the two regions.
Spatial and temporal variability of snow line (SL) elevation, snow cover area (SCA) and depletion (SCD) in winters 2001-2014 is investigated in ten main Slovak river basins (the Western Carpathians). Daily satellite snow cover maps from MODIS Terra (MOD10A1, V005) and Aqua (MYD10A1, V005) with resolution 500 m are used. The results indicate three groups of basins with similar variability in the SL elevation. The first includes basins with maximum elevations above 1500 m a.s.l. (Poprad, Upper Váh, Hron, Hornád). Winter median SL is equal or close to minimum basin elevation in snow rich winters in these basins. Even in snow poor winters is SL close to the basin mean. Second group consists of mid-altitude basins with maximum elevation around 1000 m a.s.l. (Slaná, Ipeľ, Nitra, Bodrog). Median SL varies between 150 and 550 m a.s.l. in January and February, which represents approximately 40–80% snow coverage. Median SL is near the maximum basin elevation during the snow poor winters. This means that basins are in such winters snow free approximately 50% of days in January and February. The third group includes the Rudava/Myjava and Lower Váh/Danube. These basins have their maximum altitude less than 700 m a.s.l. and only a small part of these basins is covered with snow even during the snow rich winters. The evaluation of SCA shows that snow cover typically starts in December and last to February. In the highest basins (Poprad, Upper Váh), the snow season sometimes tends to start earlier (November) and lasts to March/April. The median of SCA is, however, less than 10% in these months. The median SCA of entire winter season is above 70% in the highest basins (Poprad, Upper Váh, Hron), ranges between 30-60% in the mid-altitude basins (Hornád, Slaná, Ipeľ, Nitra, Bodrog) and is less than 1% in the Myjava/Rudava and Lower Váh/Danube basins. However, there is a considerable variability in seasonal coverage between the years. Our results indicate that there is no significant trend in mean SCA in the period 2001-2014, but periods with larger and smaller SCA exist. Winters in the period 2002-2006 have noticeably larger mean SCA than those in the period 2007-2012. Snow depletion curves (SDC) do not have a simple evolution in most winters. The snowmelt tends to start between early February and the end of March. The snowmelt lasts between 8 and 15 days on average in lowland and high mountain basins, respectively. Interestingly, the variability in SDC between the winters is much larger than between the basins.