Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska

Articles

Poland’s Climate Extremes Index, 1951–2005

Rajmund Przybylak, Zsuzsanna Vízi, Andrzej Araźny, Marek Kejna, Rafał Maszewski, Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska

Geographia Polonica (2007) vol. 80, iss. 2, pp. 47-58 | Full text

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Abstract

The paper seeks to synthesise contemporary (1951–2005) trends regarding the occurrenceof extreme meteorological events in Poland using the complex Climate Extremes Index(CEI) proposed by Karl et al. (1996). Poland’s CEI Was the greatest in the 1990s. The trendnoted for it in the period from 1951 to 2005 is an upward one, but does not achieve statisticalsignificance. Similar tendencies for the index have been observed in the 20th century for the USA(1910–90), the Russian Federation (1950–96), and Central Europe (1951–2000).

Keywords: climate extremes index (CEI), temperature, precipitation, moisture index, Poland.

Rajmund Przybylak, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Zsuzsanna Vízi, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Marek Kejna [marek.kejna@umk.pl]
Rafał Maszewski, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland

Variability to Global Solar Radiation in Central Europe During the Period 1951–2005 (On the Basis of Data from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project)

Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska, Rajmund Przybylak, Zsuzsanna Vízi, Andrzej Araźny, Marek Kejna, Rafał Maszewski

Geographia Polonica (2007) vol. 80, iss. 2, pp. 59-68 | Full text

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Abstract

The paper presents the variability to Global Solar Radiation (GSR) in Central Europein the period 1951–2005. The basic material comprises the data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysisof 35 grid points. The research shows a statistically significant increase in GSR income in theentire study period in the research area. This increase, which started in the late 1980s, was alsoobserved across Europe as a whole. One of the reasons for this change might be the decrease inpollutant emissions to the atmosphere. Moreover, an upward trend in the numbers of days withGSR over the 90th percentile is to be observed in the study period, while the number of days withGSR lower than the 10th percentile shows a negative trend. In both cases, the recorded trendsare statistically significant at the 0.05 level.

Keywords: global solar radiation, Central Europe, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data

Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Rajmund Przybylak, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Zsuzsanna Vízi, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Marek Kejna [marek.kejna@umk.pl]
Rafał Maszewski, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland

Mean and Extreme Wind Velocities in Central Europe 1951–2005 (On The Basis of Data from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project)

Andrzej Araźny, Rajmund Przybylak, Zsuzsanna Vízi, Marek Kejna, Rafał Maszewski, Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska

Geographia Polonica (2007) vol. 80, iss. 2, pp. 69-78 | Full text

Further information

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research on variability of wind speed in CentralEurope between 1951 and 2005. According to NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data from 35 grids, CentralEurope has witnessed increases in mean wind speed as well as in the number of days withstrong wind, both statistically significant. This attests to the fact that the number of extremephenomena connected with high wind velocities has increased recently.

Keywords: wind speed, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, Central Europe.

Rajmund Przybylak, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Zsuzsanna Vízi, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Marek Kejna [marek.kejna@umk.pl]
Rafał Maszewski, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Joanna Uscka-Kowalkowska, Department of Climatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina 9, 87-100 Toruń, Poland