Abstract
The Adriatic Sea and its coastal region have experienced significant environmental changes in recent decades, aggravated by climate change. The most prominent effects of climate change (namely, an increase in sea surface and air temperature together with changes in the precipitation regime) could have an adverse effect on social and environmental processes. In this study, we analyzed the time series of sea surface temperature and air temperature measured at three meteorological stations in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. To assess the trends and variations in the time series of sea surface and air temperature, different statistical methods were employed, i.e., linear and quadratic regressions, Mann–Kendall test, Rescaled Adjusted Partial Sums method, and autocorrelation. The results evidenced increasing trends in the mean annual sea surface temperature and air temperature; furthermore, sudden variations in values were observed in 1998 and 1992, respectively. Increasing trends in the mean monthly sea surface temperature and air temperature occurred in the warmer parts of the year (from March to August). The results of this study could provide a foundation for stakeholders, decision–makers, and other scientists for developing effective measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change in the scattered environment of the Adriatic islands and coastal region.
Highlights
The Adriatic Sea is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea and represents a vast bay that is indented far into the European mainland
Linear and quadratic regressions were performed on the time series of mean monthly and mean annual SST and air temperature from three stations analyzed in this study
The longest time series analyzed in this study were recorded in Split, followed by Hvar, and Komiža with the shortest time series
Summary
The Adriatic Sea is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea and represents a vast bay that is indented far into the European mainland. The surface of the Adriatic Sea is 138,595 km, which constitutes 4.6% of the total surface of the Mediterranean Sea. The Adriatic Sea stretches in NW–SE direction for 870 km, with an average width of approximately 200 km. Based on the average depth, the Adriatic is divided into (i) very shallow Northern Adriatic (200 m and maximum depth up to 1228 m [2]. The majority of the islands in the Adriatic Sea are within the Croatian territory. The total length of the Croatian coast is 5835 km, i.e., the lengths of the island and mainland coast are 4058 km and 1777 km, respectively
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
