Western Hungary Research Articles

Annual Captures and Biometrics of Goldcrests Regulus regulus at a Western Hungarian Stopover Site

Abstract Annual captures and biometric parameters of the Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) were studied at Tömörd, western Hungary. We used records of 4,284 individuals trapped and ringed between August and November within the study period (1998–2020). The Goldcrest was determined to be a regular partial migrant species with highly intensive migration in 2000, 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2019. The catching results showed very high number fluctuations at Tömörd, but the smoothed curves were distinctly wave-like in all age and sex classes. There were significant positive correlations between annual captures of age and sex classes. The average proportion of immature Goldcrests was 90%, the average proportion of male individuals was 63% and both proportions were stable between 1998 and 2020. There were similar decreasing trends in the average annual wing length and body mass of males and females from 1998 to 2020. This may indicate that the migration strategies of females may be modified by global climate change.

Hungarian cultural and linguistic borrowings in the folk tradition of Burgenland Croats in Hungary and Slovakia

Abstract The work which forms the bulk of the present study was carried out on the basis of numerous pieces of field material collected by means of an ethnolinguistic questionnaire in villages inhabited by Burgenland Croats in Western Hungary and Southern Slovakia (where part of the Hungarian territory was annexed after World War II). The field data contain a number of latent and obvious borrowings from Hungarian folk culture. By latent borrowings we mean cultural phenomena that were initially feebly expressed in a particular tradition (and tended to be lost), but during long coexistence with a neighboring heterogeneous tradition they were eventually maintained due to the developed state of the similar phenomena in the neighboring population. We also include here cultural phenomena that are typical of both traditions and have deep roots in the universal model of the naive world view. Analyzing the popular culture and dialects of enclave villages of Burgenland Croats in Hungary and Slovakia, we show that traditional folk culture with the corresponding vocabulary nevertheless acts as an important marker of identity for the population living in a foreign language environment.

Migration of Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) in Hungary

Abstract The Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) is a regular, but small-number breeder in spruce and coniferous forests in the mountainous and hilly areas of Hungary, but is found in all parts of the country during migration. Despite this, only sporadic field observation data and ringing results in Western Hungary have been published so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the migration of this species on a national scale. In our work, we processed field observation data collected on the Csanádi-hát and capture-recapture data from three bird ringing stations (Szalonna, Tömörd and Ócsa) from the second half of the 1980s to 2021. We also used archive published field observation data from different parts of Hungary. Our results show that the spring migration of the species in the study areas took place between mid-March and late April – early May, and its timing did not differ significantly between regions. In contrast, the autumn migration was earlier in mountainous areas than in lowland areas. The small numbers and short duration of recaptured birds suggested a rapid migration in both periods. In autumn, we obtained a significant difference between the annual number of birds captured in Tömörd and Szalonna. In both periods, males were caught in greater numbers than females. In southern Hungary, the timing of migration in spring has not changed, but in autumn the species migrated earlier than a few decades ago.

Nutritional risk factors in Hungarian elderly-Biomarker2019 survey

Abstract In Hungary, about a quarter of the population is over the age of 60 and their proportion is projected to increase considerably within a few decades. According to the 2009 and 2014 European Health Interview Survey data, 87% of Hungarian older adults suffer from at least one non-communicable disease (NCD). Many of the NCDs are associated with poor nutrition. Reliable data on nutritional status of this age group is scarce. The Biomarker2019 survey provides comprehensive data on the nutritional status of this vulnerable age group. The cross-sectional survey was carried out in western Hungary. Participants aged ≥60y were selected from non-institutionalized patients of general practitioners' practicing in Western Hungary (n = 200). Data collection involved a questionnaire, physical examinations, three-day dietary record, and a collection of biological samples (fasting blood and 24-hour urine). 77% of the participants had high blood pressure diagnosed by a physician. 85% of men and 76% of women were overweight or obese, according to the BMIs. The mean proportion of energy from fat was higher (men: 39 E%, women: 37 E%), that from carbohydrates was lower in men (43 E%) than recommended, while it was adequate in women (47 E%). The mean protein intake was adequate in both sexes. Cholesterol intake was 433 mg/day for men and 317 mg/day for women, both higher than the Hungarian recommendations. The fiber intake was 23.8 g/day for men and 23.6 g/day for women, both below the recommended values. Based on the estimates of salt intake from 24-hour urine, 90% of participants had a higher salt intake than recommended. Nutritional risk factors predisposing to the development of NCDs were identified in the sample. The results of the study contributed to the development of a food-based dietary guideline tailor made to the Hungarian elderly population (60+ Health - Dietary Guideline for the Elderly), its dissemination to the target audience has been started. Key messages The identification of nutritional risk factors in a sample of older adults contributed to the development of a new food-based dietary guideline for the elderly population. The results can form the basis of further public health interventions.

Incidence, Predictive Factors, Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding - A Prospective Population-based Study from Hungary.

Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence, management, risk factors and outcomes of acute non-variceal UGIB in a population-based study from Hungary. The present prospective one-year study involved six major community hospitals in Western Hungary covering a population of 1,263,365 persons between January 1 and December 31, 2016. Data collection included demographics, comorbidities endoscopic management, Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS), Rockall score (RS) transfusion requirements, length of hospital stay and mortality. 688 cases of acute non-variceal UGIB were included with an incidence rate of 54.4 (95%CI: 50.5-58.6) per 100,000 per year. Endoscopy was performed within 12 hours in 71.8%. 5.3% of the patients required surgical treatment and the overall mortality was 13.5%. Weekend presentation was associated with increased transfusion requirements (p=0.047), surgery (p=0.016) and mortality (p=0.021). Presentation with hemodynamic instability or presence of comorbidities was associated with transfusion (p<0.001 both), second look endoscopy (p<0.001 both), re-bleeding (p<0.001 both), longer in-hospital stay (p<0.001 both) and mortality (p=0.017 and p<0.001). GBS was associated with transfusion requirement (AUC:0.82; cut-off: GBS >7points), while mortality was best predicted by the post-endoscopic RS (AUC:0.75; cut-off: RS >5points). Incidence rates of acute non-variceal UGIB in Western Hungary are in line with international trends. Longer pre-hospital time, comorbidities, hemodynamic instability, weekend presentation, treatment with anticoagulants or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with worse outcomes.

Inside and outside of science the legacy of Elemér Hankiss

Elemér Hankiss was one of the most influential and brilliant thinkers of the past half century in Hungary and Central Europe. His work overarches disciplines from literary criticism and sociology, to political science, anthropological philosophy and civilizational theory. Thanks to his numerous essays and media appearances he was highly appreciated and well-respected as a non-partisan public intellectual. This essay investigates some of the lesser known aspects of his oeuvre, and his contribution to creating a unique advanced study centre in Western Hungary’s historic city of Kőszeg. It also highlights his outstanding ability to oscillate between different disciplines and public activities, while at the same time continuously focusing on the existential questions of human existence.

A Unique Late Cretaceous dinosaur locality in the Bakony-Balaton Geopark of Hungary (Iharkút, Bakony Mts.)

Iharkut is a Late Cretaceous (Santonian) vertebrate-bearing locality in the Bakony Mountains of western Hungary, where productive and continuous paleontological excavations have been carried out in the last twenty years. Field work resulted in a very rich and diverse assemblage of terrestrial and freshwater animals (fishes, amphibians, turtles, lizards, a freshwater mosasaur, pterosaurs, crocodilians, dinosaurs including birds). This abundance and diversity of fossil taxa plays a significant role in the understanding of the evolutionary history of European Late Cretaceous continental vertebrate faunas. Furthermore, due to its palaeogeographic position (in the western Tethyan archipelago) and its Santonian age, the locality fills an important gap in the Late Cretaceous record of continental vertebrates in Europe. The locality is among the geological values of the Bakony-Balaton UNESCO Global Geopark. The uniqueness of the fossils raises this locality into the list of high priority geoheritage sites of the world, which draws the attention of both scientific and non-scientific geopark visitors.

Temporal Changes in Wing Length, Fat Reserves and Body Mass of Migrating Eurasian Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla at a West Hungarian Stopover Site

Changes in biometric characteristics of a migrating bird population at a given capture site could reflect that the migration strategies of the species may be changing. A robust data set (15,520 records) was used to analyse the changes in biometric characteristics of the Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla in western Hungary between August and October during the study period (2001–2019). All age and sex classes displayed similar phenology of monthly captures and biometric change: the average wing length, fat score and body mass increased in the migrating population from August to October. This could be explained by changes in the morphometric distribution of different migrating populations, in later months more birds might arrive from a larger distance, primarily from the Baltic regions and the Czech Republic. The biometrics of juvenile birds captured in August did not change significantly from 2001 to 2019, while the wing lengths decreased and fat scores increased significantly between 2001 and 2019 in September and October in both sex classes. This could be explained by a change in the migration distance or different morphology of individuals from the north which stopped over at the study area. Due to the global warming and habitat changes in the last decade, the shorter migration route and favourable conditions at overwintering areas north of the Sahara or around the Mediterranean could favour Blackcaps which migrate a shorter distance.

Dietary Sodium and Potassium Intake in Hungarian Elderly: Results from the Cross-Sectional Biomarker2019 Survey.

High sodium intake and inadequate potassium intake are associated with high blood pressure. The elderly are more salt sensitive than other age groups, yet a reliable estimate of the dietary sodium and potassium intake of this age group in Hungary is unavailable. The study aimed to estimate the sodium and potassium intakes in the Hungarian elderly from 24 h urine sodium and potassium excretion. In this cross-sectional study, participants were selected from patients of general practitioners practicing in western Hungary. The participants comprised 99 men and 90 women (mean age 67.1 (SD 5.4] years) who participated in the Biomarker2019 survey and returned a complete 24 h urine collection. We assessed dietary sodium and potassium by determining 24 h urinary sodium and potassium excretions and 3-day dietary records. The mean urinary sodium was 188.8 (73.5) mmoL/day, which is equivalent to 11.0 g of salt/day; and the mean urinary potassium was 65.8 (24.3) mmoL/day, which is equivalent to 3.03 g of potassium/day, after adjusting for non-urinary potassium losses. Only 7% of the subjects met the World Health Organization’s recommended target of less than 5 g of salt/day, and 33% consumed at least the recommended potassium amount of 3.5 g/day, based on the estimates from 24 h urine excretion. For most elderly, sodium intake exceeds, and potassium does not reach, dietary recommendations. The results underline the need to intensify salt reduction efforts in Hungary.

Outcomes of variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A prospective, multicenter, population-based study from West Hungary

Acute variceal gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics and prognostic factors in the management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a large multi-center study from Hungary. This prospective one-year study (between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016) involved six community hospitals in Western Hungary. Data collection included demographic characteristics, vital signs at admission, comorbidities, medications, time to hospital admission and endoscopy, laboratory results, endoscopic management, risk assessment using Glasgow-Blatchford Score (GBS), Rockall Score (RS) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Score, transfusion requirements, length of hospital stay and mortality. 108 cases (male: 69.4%) of acute variceal gastrointestinal bleeding were registered during the 1-year period. Endoscopic therapeutic intervention was performed in 57.4%. On initial endoscopy, 39.8% of the patients were treated with sclerotherapy and 18.5% had ligation. 76.9% of the patients required blood transfusion. The overall mortality (including in-hospital bleedings) was 24.1%. The GBS predicted transfusions (AUC: 0.793; cut-off: GBS >8 points). The ASA Score was associated with transfusion (OR 7.6 [CI 95% 2.7-21.6]; p<0.001), endoscopic intervention (OR 12.6 [CI 95% 3.4-46.5]; p = 0.033), and showed similar trend with mortality (OR 3.6 [0.8-16.7]; p = 0.095). The increased international normalized ratio (INR) and creatinine levels were associated with mortality (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002). Incidence rates of acute variceal gastrointestinal bleeding in Western Hungary are high. The ASA Score, GBS predicted outcomes and transfusion requirements. The observed high mortality rates, coupled with relatively low rates of endoscopic ligation, warrant optimization of management strategies in acute variceal gastrointestinal bleeding. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(31): 1252-1259.

High resolution architecture of neotectonic fault zones and post-8-Ma deformations in western Hungary: Observations and neotectonic characteristics of the fault zone at the Eastern Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton (Hungary), the largest lake in Central Europe, formed by the interplay of tectonic and external forces. Its shallow water and young soft sediments together allow to carry out ultra-high resolution reflection seismic surveys to investigate shallow tectonic structures and near surface stratigraphy at depth of ca. 0–30 m. To document neotectonics of the eastern lake basin and its onshore surroundings to the East, we have integrated new ultra-high-resolution seismic-reflection data with deeper penetrating multichannel lake and land seismic profiles, regional geological, geophysical and seismicity data, and geomorphological observations. Combined use of these different data sets provided an opportunity to understand better, how these different types and scales of structural features are linked. In our study area, late middle to late Miocene formations compose a deepening than shallowing sedimentary cycle from terrestrial clastic through offshore marl and deltaic sequence filling up the basin between ca. 8.6 to 7.5 Ma. The deltaic sequence is unconformably overlain by erosional remnants of late Pleistocene fluvial deposits and a mantle of latest Pleistocene to Holocene lake mud. Post-early Miocene deformation history involved two phases; a latest middle to early late Miocene transtension and a dominantly strike-slip regime with locally transpressional or transtensional character. The latter neotectonic phase reactivated the earlier faults and resulted in the propagation of 4 major fault zones across the complete late Miocene sequence. The resulting young faults show segmented geometry, stepovers, and connecting splays. The deformation also induced the modest but penetrative folding of the highest preserved Miocene deltaic sequence. The change in deformation style could happen during the late-stage of delta formation, at ca. 8 Ma although a slightly younger timing is not excluded. Faults imaged offshore apparently do not offset the Holocene lacustrine mud by discrete fractures, but the improved distribution map of recent seismicity and morphotectonic indices along their onshore continuations suggests that several segments of the fault pattern are still active, and might be capable of generating earthquakes. Integration of these different data provided an opportunity to understand better, how these different types and scales of structural features are linked and evolved one after another. • 4 fault zones and 4 types of folds were mapped below Lake Balaton. • Post-8-Ma neotectonic faults are the reactivation of earlier Miocene structures. • The mapped fault pattern serves as an example for the complexity of segmented fault zone. • Faults below the lake continue onland form a coherent structural pattern. • Recent fault activity is suggested by the new seismicity map.

Regional Distribution of Adult Education in Hungary (2010, 2019)

This article presents the results of a study related to the regional distribution of participants in adulteducation programs in Hungary. Adult education is one of the cornerstones of lifelong learning supported by the European Union. The author performed a secondary database analysis from the OSAP 1665 (National Statistical Data Collection Program on Adult Education) database operated by the Pest County Government Office. To answer the main research questions, the author used the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Local Moran I Autocorrelation and Hot Spot analysis methods used in regional statistics. Access to education in rural areas is one of the components of reducing unfavorable demographic changes and emigration caused by unemployment. The purpose of the study is to draw attention to the lack of access to education for people living in rural areas and to the fact that education is the first step in keeping the rural population in place. During the study period (2010 and 2019), training centers covered more than 50 percent of the country’s municipalities. Training centers are located along the main roads of the country. A study of the service areas of the district centers revealed which districts lacked such centers. With the help of the research methods, the author obtained data indicating that the training achievements of rural areas are weak, and this may lead to their further backlog. In the southern part of Western Hungary, due to the peculiarities of the economic and settlement structure, area with no training centers was formed. Over time, the problems will also appear in other social and economic indicators, which may require the organization of major catch-up programs.

Epigenetic-Hydrothermal Fluorite Veins in a Phosphorite Deposit from Balaton Highland (Pannonian Basin, Hungary): Signatures of a Regional Fluid Flow System in an Alpine Triassic Platform

The middle Anisian extensional tectonics of the Neotethyan realm developed a small, isolated carbonate platform in the middle part of the Balaton Highland (western Hungary), resulted in the deposition of uranium-bearing seamount phosphorite on the top of the drowned platform and produced some epigenetic fluorite veins in the Middle Triassic sequence. The stable C-O isotope data of carbonates are shifted from the typical Triassic carbonate ranges, confirming the epigenetic-hydrothermal origin of veining. Primary fluid inclusions in fluorite indicate that these veins were formed from low temperature (85–169 °C) and high salinity NaCl + CaCl2 + H2O type (apparent total salinity: 15.91–22.46 NaCl wt%) hydrothermal fluids, similar to parent fluids of the Alpine-type Pb-Zn deposits. These findings indicate that the Triassic regional fluid circulation systems in the Alpine platform carbonates also affected the area of the Balaton Highland. This is also in agreement with the previously established palinspatic tectonic reconstructions indicating that the Triassic carbonate and basement units in the Balaton Highland area were a part of the Southern Alpine. Similar fluorite veining in phosphorite deposits is also known in the Southern Alpine areas (e.g., Monte San Giorgi, Italy). Raman spectroscopic analyses detected H2 gas in the vapor phase of the fluid inclusions and a defect-rich fluorite structure in violet to black colored growth zones. This unique phenomenon is assumed to be the result of interaction between the uranium-rich phosphorite and the parent fluids of the epigenetic fluorite veins.

Basic characteristics of microhabitats of snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii) in Western Hungary

Abstract Following the rediscovery after 200 years of Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri in 2017, we carried out data collection its habitats regarding vegetation, microclimate, and soil on two prominent dolomite hills of the Eastern Bakony. Data collections were carried out in habitat mosaics (xerothermic forest edges on the plateaus, karst shrub forests in south-facing exposure, dry grasslands among forest patches on the plateaus, rocky grasslands in south-facing exposure) of three sampling blocks. Vegetation was examined by phytosociological relevés, microclimate from April to November continuously by TMS-2 dataloggers, and soil by laboratory analyses focused mainly on percentage of different fractions. According to our results a) shrub forests with a south-facing exposure provide a cooler microclimate with temperated fluctuation in the spring–early summer and late summer–early autumn periods; b) plateau grasslands and shrubs are characterised by looser soil structure. Based on our results, heterogeneous habitat character of forest–grassland mosaics of the Pannonicum can mitigate the expected negative effects of climate change on reptiles.

The Experience of the Virtual Investigation of the National Culture of the Burgenland Croatian Village of Koljnof (Western Hungary)

This article provides an overview of the survey of the Burgenland Croatian village of Koljnof (hung. Kophaza), located in western Hungary, six kilometres south of Sopron. The survey was conducted remotely via Skype and took place in two stages in August and September 2021. A brief outline of the history of the village is given, and the main difficulties arising from conducting a remote survey are described. These include the rapid fatigue of informants, the active role of the "guide" in the process of conducting interviews, and the difficulties with conversations on topics that are related in some way to the organization of space in the village. After that, the phenomena of the traditional spiritual culture of Koljnof collected during the survey from the field of calendar and family rites, as well as folk mythology, are considered. Calendar rites are most fully represented here, with a number of important terms in the field of family rites and several epics in the field of folk mythology being recorded. In general, the remote survey, despite its limitations, is a viable method of preliminary study of the traditional folk spiritual culture of a particular village. The collected data show that the village of Kolnof is part of Northern Burgenland for a number of reasons. In addition, the collected material allows us to verify some fragments of the tradition of the nearby Koljnof Croatian village of Unda resulting from Hungarian influence, including the rounds of boys on St. Lucia’s Day and the rounds of girls on Trinity.

European inland waters : The history of seafaring, shipping, and shipyards at the Lake Balaton

Maritime history and development of waterways is often perceived as a mostly marine issue including activities linked directly to the oceans and seas and their coastal zones. However, inland waters and waterways constitute an important landscape-forming factor in terms of transport, wetland formation, watercourse regulations and flood prevention, agriculture, forestry, fishery, settlement structures, tourism and a number of related services. Lake Balaton in western Hungary is a unique environment regarding its geology, biodiversity, water resources (including springs and thermal waters) and rich cultural heritage. Inland navigation has greatly contributed to the development of settlement structures and trades in the region already from Roman times, but only with the appearance of steamboats and the internationally renowned shipyards the shipping of goods and personal transport reached a larger volume. Since Lake Balaton is a shallow lake, producing ships (both sailing boats and larger vessels) was a technical challenge. The largest shipyard around the lake was in the town of Balatonfüred with some ancillary facilities in Siófok. With the continuous development of railway traffic first on the southern and later on the northern shore successively replaced the goods transport on the lake and changed the system of its water level control through the Sió-channel. In this study, we analyse the development of inland navigation on lake Balaton and its influence on trade and settlement structures and cultural heritage in the region, the connections to international inland waterways through the Sió canal and the River Danube and the changes of ship building industry during history. The article is based on a number of studies on the history of Lake Balaton and a specific focus is put on the industrial era and how international influences have been instrumental in this development.

The Supine in Czech Biblical Translations of the National Revival Period (Second Half of the Nineteenth Century)

This article provides an overview of the survey of the Burgenland Croatian village of Koljnof (hung. Kophaza), located in western Hungary, 6 kilometres south of Sopron. The survey was conducted remotely via Skype and took place in two stages in August and September 2021. A brief outline of the history of the village is given, and the main difficulties arising from conducting a remote survey are described. These include the rapid fatigue of informants, the active role of the "guide" in the process of conducting interviews, and the difficulties with conversations on topics that are related in some way to the organization of space in the village. After that, the phenomena of the traditional spiritual culture of Koljnof collected during the survey from the field of calendar and family rites, as well as folk mythology, are considered. Calendar rites are most fully represented here, with a number of important terms in the field of family rites and several epics in the field of folk mythology being recorded. In general, the remote survey, despite its limitations, is a viable method of preliminary study of the traditional folk spiritual culture of a particular village. The collected data show that the village of Kolnof is part of Northern Burgenland for a number of reasons. In addition, the collected material allows us to verify some fragments of the tradition of the nearby Koljnof Croatian village of Unda resulting from Hungarian influence, including the rounds of boys on St. Lucia’s Day and the rounds of girls on Trinity.

The Agony of Historic Western Hungary and the Birth of Burgenland (1914-1921)

Many know that one of the most important consequences of the First World War was the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Yet only few know that the two defeated allies – Austria and Hungary – had not only lost large territories of their own to the neighbouring successors states, but they were also engaged in serious border dispute with each other between 1918 and 1921. This desperate struggle may seem as if it came out of nowhere since the three historic counties that composed the Western periphery of Hungary did not really suffered from deep political or social conflicts before the war, at least not on the surface and comparing to other multi-ethnic regions of Central and Eastern Europe. If we picture the old Habsburg Empire as a jigsaw puzzle then the Western Hungarian counties should be imagined as those oddly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces that geographically as well as culturally connected the two halves of the empire. Although the long but narrow area along the Western border of the Kingdom of Hungary was dominantly German-speaking for centuries, both countries were under Habsburg rule under which questioning the historical borders would have been simply unreasonable. This radically changed around the turn-of-the century when modern nationalism broke through in public life and became a main driving force behind political aspirations. The disintegration of historic Western Hungary and birth of Burgenland were a very complicated process in which regard the significance of nationalism and its radicalization in the Great War cannot be underestimated.

Securing Own Position: Challenges Faced by Local Elites after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise

The multi-ethnic regions of the Habsburg Monarchy became increasingly perceived as places of instability and insecurity after the rise of competing national movements in the mid-nineteenth century. The antagonism between local national elites culminated after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, as all pursued a course aimed at securing a favourable position. As actors of security, the local elites often and typically declared themselves and their respective nations to be existentially threatened and therefore with a legitimate claim to survive the challenges brought on by modern times. To investigate the security dilemmas of the local elites in two different regions of Austria-Hungary – namely in three city municipalities in Bacs-Bodrog county in Southern Hungary; and in Vas, Sopron and Moson counties in western Hungary – this study combines methods of historical discourse analysis with approaches taken from security and nationalism studies as well as regional and local history.

Soil Moisture Estimation Using Citizen Observatory Data, Microwave Satellite Imagery, and Environmental Covariates

Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable in the climate system and a key parameter in earth surface processes. This study aimed to test the citizen observatory (CO) data to develop a method to estimate surface SM distribution using Sentinel-1B C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Landsat 8 data; acquired between January 2019 and June 2019. An agricultural region of Tard in western Hungary was chosen as the study area. In situ soil moisture measurements in the uppermost 10 cm were carried out in 36 test fields simultaneously with SAR data acquisition. The effects of environmental covariates and the backscattering coefficient on SM were analyzed to perform SM estimation procedures. Three approaches were developed and compared for a continuous four-month period, using multiple regression analysis, regression-kriging and cokriging with the digital elevation model (DEM), and Sentinel-1B C-band and Landsat 8 images. CO data were evaluated over the landscape by expert knowledge and found to be representative of the major SM distribution processes but also presenting some indifferent short-range variability that was difficult to explain at this scale. The proposed models were evaluated using statistical metrics: The coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). Multiple linear regression provides more realistic spatial patterns over the landscape, even in a data-poor environment. Regression kriging was found to be a potential tool to refine the results, while ordinary cokriging was found to be less effective. The obtained results showed that CO data complemented with Sentinel-1B SAR, Landsat 8, and terrain data has the potential to estimate and map soil moisture content.