Climate Changes in the Vertical Zones of the Polish Carpathians in the Last 50 Years

Abstract

The variability and extremes of air temperature and precipitation in the years 1951–2006 were analyzed for different vertical zones as well as for the W-E profile of the Polish Carpathians. Some results of the analysis were compared with those concerning the Eastern Alps. Data from 9 Polish and 18 Austrian stations were used. The variability of air temperature in the Polish Western Carpathians during the study period decreased with altitude whereas no relation between temperature variability and altitude was observed in the Alps. The rate of temperature increase per decade was much lower at Kasprowy Wierch than at the lower locations (0.14 and 0.21 K, respectively) and for the period 1956–2000 it was even statistically insignificant. Notably, the temperature at Kasprowy Wierch was much lower than the temperature at the similar altitudes in the Alps. No clear trends in precipitation can be observed in either mountain chains. The observed differences in the climate change patterns between both mountain chains are connected with their geographical features and the air temperature increase probably results from diversified effects of atmospheric circulation.